alt werden
grow old
The German phrase "alt werden" is the equivalent of "grow old" in English. It is used to describe the process of aging or becoming older. It is often used in the context of people and their life experiences. For example, "Er ist alt geworden" translates to "He has grown old". It is important to note that in German, "alt werden" is a reflexive verb, which means it is used with a reflexive pronoun like "sich". However, in this context, the reflexive pronoun is often omitted.
Example sentences using: alt werden
Ich möchte nicht alt werden und viele Krankheiten haben.
I do not want to get old and have many diseases.
This sentence expresses a fear of aging and diseases that often comes along with it. In English, it would typically be phrased as not wanting to 'grow old' instead of 'get old'.
Er hat Angst, alt zu werden und einsam zu sein.
He is afraid to get old and be lonely.
This sentence is expressing the fear of becoming old and isolated, a common fear among individuals faced with aging. The 'zu' in 'alt zu werden' is a grammatical requirement for this type of sentence structure and does not have a standalone meaning.
Um alt zu werden, muss man gesund leben.
To get old, one must live healthily.
In this sentence, 'alt zu werden' is part of a conditional clause that establishes a basis for getting old, which in this case is living healthily. The direct translation in English would be 'In order to grow old, one must live healthily.