gesund

Gesund is a German adjective meaning in good health or free from illness. It is used to describe people, animals, and things that function well or are in good condition. In everyday German, it appears in discussions of health, wellness, and vitality, and it can modify nouns directly in compounds or phrases such as gesunde Ernährung or gesunde Lebensweise.

Etymology: The word derives from Old High German gesunt, meaning health, from a Proto-Germanic root linked with being sound or whole. Cognates include Dutch gezond. The sense of soundness in health is related to the broader Germanic family of words expressing wholeness and well-being.

Usage and phrases: Typical expressions include gesund bleiben (to stay healthy), gesund ernähren (to eat healthily), and gesund leben (to lead a healthy life). The noun form for the concept is Gesundheit. Common compounds include Gesundheitswesen (healthcare system), Gesundheitszustand (state of health), and gesunde Ernährung (healthy diet). The adjective inflects with gender and case, as in gesunde Ernährung or gesundes Leben.

Cultural notes: In German-speaking regions, health, preventive care, and wellness are prominent in medicine, public policy, and everyday life. The word also appears in the interjection Gesundheit, used after someone sneezes as a wish for health, akin to “bless you” in English speakers’ usage.

Overall, gesund serves as a foundational term in discussions of personal and public health, with a broad range of fixed expressions and compound nouns built from it.