The German word for divorce is die Scheidung.
It refers to the legal dissolution of a marriage, but it’s also used more broadly in emotional and practical conversations about separation, family changes, and starting over.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (and included in our free illustrated PDF), making it important for anyone navigating personal or legal topics in German.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a feminine noun: die Scheidung.
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Pronunciation:
Scheidung is pronounced [SHY-doong]

• “SHY” rhymes with try

• “doong” rhymes loosely with song (but with a more nasal -ng sound)
  Two syllables: SHY-doong

Example sentences

Die Scheidung war einvernehmlich.
The divorce was mutual.

Nach der Scheidung hat er ein neues Leben angefangen.
After the divorce, he started a new life.

Sie kämpfen noch um das Sorgerecht nach der Scheidung.
They’re still fighting over custody after the divorce.

Nuance and usage tips

⚖️ Scheidung refers first and foremost to the legal process. You’ll hear Ehescheidung (marital divorce) in formal settings like court or law offices.

💔 In everyday conversation, Scheidung can also refer to the broader emotional or lifestyle transition that comes with ending a marriage.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 It frequently appears in the context of Scheidungskinder (children of divorced parents) and Scheidungsanwalt (divorce lawyer).

🧠 While it’s a serious term, it’s not taboo—Germans speak openly about Scheidung as part of modern life.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Die Scheidung meiner Eltern war ziemlich stressig für uns Kinder."
My parents' divorce was pretty stressful for us kids.

"Ich hab gehört, dass sie jetzt in Scheidung leben."
I heard they’re going through a divorce now.

"Nach der Scheidung ist er nach Berlin gezogen."
After the divorce, he moved to Berlin.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Mira: Weißt du, warum Tim so traurig ist?
Ben: Ja, seine Eltern haben sich scheiden lassen.
Mira: Oh nein, das ist echt hart.
Ben: Er redet nicht gern darüber.

Translation:
Mira: Do you know why Tim is so sad?
Ben: Yeah, his parents got divorced.
Mira: Oh no, that’s really tough.
Ben: He doesn’t like talking about it.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Die Scheidung war teuer und langwierig.
The divorce was expensive and drawn out.

Accusative:
Sie haben die Scheidung eingereicht.
They filed for divorce.

Dative:
Mit der Scheidung kam auch viel Papierkram.
With the divorce came a lot of paperwork.

Genitive:
Die Folgen der Scheidung waren für alle spürbar.
The consequences of the divorce were felt by everyone.

Other ways to say divorce in German

While Scheidung is the main noun for divorce in German, there are related expressions. Trennung means separation and often comes up before or instead of legal divorce. Sich scheiden lassen is the verb phrase (to get divorced), and you’ll hear it used commonly: Sie haben sich scheiden lassen.

For legal documents, Ehescheidung is the precise term. But in spoken German, Scheidung alone is almost always clear enough.

Word variations and tidbits

You’ll encounter Scheidung in compound words like Scheidungskind (child of divorced parents), Scheidungsjahr (mandatory separation year before legal divorce in Germany), and Scheidungsverfahren (divorce proceedings). There’s also Scheidungsrate (divorce rate) in sociological discussions.

🧠 Fun fact: The word comes from the verb scheiden, which originally meant “to separate” or “to part.” It’s also related to the older poetic phrase vom Leben scheiden—to depart from life.

📘 Duden entry for Scheidung
🎥 Want to avoid confusion when talking about life’s big changes? Our video course covers Scheidung and 999 other top German words—complete with visuals, grammar tips, and real-world examples.

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