Whether in a hospital drama or a medical emergency, knowing how to say coma in German can help you understand high-stakes situations — and talk about them with clarity and empathy. It’s a word that crosses language barriers and speaks to moments when life hangs in the balance.
The word is Koma — pronounced “KOH-mah” (just like in English, with a bit more emphasis on the first syllable and a crisp, short -a).
Koma is neuter, so it’s das Koma. The plural is die Komas, and although rare, it can appear in formal or medical texts. If gender and article patterns in German still trip you up sometimes, check out my gender video lesson — it's fast and practical.
Koma is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and while it’s not something you’ll use every day, it’s essential for watching medical series, reading news, or understanding serious health discussions in German.
Examples in all four cases:
Nominative:
Das Koma dauerte drei Wochen.
The coma lasted three weeks.
Accusative:
Sie fiel plötzlich ins Koma.
She suddenly fell into a coma.
Dative:
Nach drei Tagen in dem Koma gab es erste Reaktionen.
After three days in the coma, there were first signs of response.
Genitive:
Die Ursache des Komas war ein Unfall.
The cause of the coma was an accident.
Real-World Tips for Learners
Koma is a direct borrowing from Latin and Greek, so it will feel familiar to English speakers. It’s typically used in health contexts, often alongside phrases like:
ins Koma fallen – to fall into a coma
aus dem Koma erwachen – to wake from a coma
künstliches Koma – medically induced coma
Koma-Patient – coma patient
In more casual or metaphorical speech, Germans might say Ich war im Koma! to exaggerate being extremely tired or out of it — similar to English jokes like “I slept like I was in a coma.” This usage is informal and often humorous.
Be careful not to confuse Koma (coma) with Komma (comma), which sounds almost the same but has a completely different meaning. It’s a small but important distinction in both spelling and context.
Beginner dialogue using Koma:
A: Weißt du, wie es ihm geht?
B: Nein, er liegt noch im Koma.
A: Do you know how he’s doing?
B: No, he’s still in a coma.
Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it aloud using Koma.
“Kennst du eine Geschichte, in der jemand im Koma war? Was ist passiert?”
Do you know a story where someone was in a coma? What happened?
Say your answer out loud in German and include Koma in your sentence.
German Word of the Day
Now you know how to say coma in German — and how das Koma gives you the language to describe serious health situations and deepen your understanding of emotional stories.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and keep building a vocabulary that’s real and relevant.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Lage — and learn to talk about conditions, location, and where things stand.
Or revisit Lager — a word that spans from summer tents to serious history.