B1 Idiom Informal

krankfeiern

feign illness (to skip work)

Significado

To pretend to be sick to avoid going to work or school.

🌍

Contexto cultural

The 'Gelber Schein' (yellow slip) is the traditional medical certificate. Even if you 'krankfeierst' for just one day, some employers require it immediately, making faking it a bit of a logistical challenge. In Austria, the term is also well-understood, but 'blaumachen' is perhaps even more frequent in casual conversation. Swiss work culture is often seen as more rigid, so 'krankfeiern' might be viewed more critically than in some parts of Germany. Many modern startups have 'Trust-based working time' (Vertrauensarbeitszeit), which ironically makes 'krankfeiern' less necessary because you can just take time off.

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Context is Key

Never use this word with your boss. It's an admission of lying.

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Separable Verb Rule

Remember: 'Ich feiere krank', but 'Ich habe krankgefeiert'.

Significado

To pretend to be sick to avoid going to work or school.

⚠️

Context is Key

Never use this word with your boss. It's an admission of lying.

💡

Separable Verb Rule

Remember: 'Ich feiere krank', but 'Ich habe krankgefeiert'.

💬

The 'Monday' Rule

Germans often joke about 'Montagskrankheit' (Monday sickness) when someone 'krankfeiert'.

🎯

Use 'Blaumachen' for variety

If you want to sound more native, alternate between 'krankfeiern' and 'blaumachen'.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the correct form of 'krankfeiern'.

Gestern war so schönes Wetter, da habe ich einfach ______.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: krankgefeiert

In the perfect tense, the 'ge' goes between the prefix and the verb: krank-ge-feiert.

Which sentence is appropriate to say to your boss?

You are actually sick and calling your boss.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Ich melde mich heute krank.

'Sich krankmelden' is the professional and neutral term. The others imply you are faking.

Match the phrase to the situation.

A student skips a math test by staying in bed.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: krankfeiern

Krankfeiern is the perfect fit for faking an illness to avoid a test.

Complete the dialogue.

A: 'Wo ist Thomas?' B: 'Er ______ heute ______, weil er keine Lust auf das Meeting hat.'

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: feiert... krank

In a main clause, the separable verb splits: 'feiert' in second position, 'krank' at the end.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Ayudas visuales

Formal vs. Informal Sick Leave

Formal
sich krankmelden to report sick
Informal
krankfeiern to pull a sickie

Banco de ejercicios

4 ejercicios
Fill in the correct form of 'krankfeiern'. Fill Blank B1

Gestern war so schönes Wetter, da habe ich einfach ______.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: krankgefeiert

In the perfect tense, the 'ge' goes between the prefix and the verb: krank-ge-feiert.

Which sentence is appropriate to say to your boss? Choose A2

You are actually sick and calling your boss.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Ich melde mich heute krank.

'Sich krankmelden' is the professional and neutral term. The others imply you are faking.

Match the phrase to the situation. situation_matching A1

A student skips a math test by staying in bed.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: krankfeiern

Krankfeiern is the perfect fit for faking an illness to avoid a test.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion B1

A: 'Wo ist Thomas?' B: 'Er ______ heute ______, weil er keine Lust auf das Meeting hat.'

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: feiert... krank

In a main clause, the separable verb splits: 'feiert' in second position, 'krank' at the end.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Preguntas frecuentes

10 preguntas

Technically, yes. Faking an illness to avoid work is a breach of contract and can lead to being fired.

'Krankfeiern' specifically implies using illness as an excuse. 'Blaumachen' is more general skipping.

Yes, it's very common among students to 'krankfeiern' for a lecture or seminar.

Use 'Ich melde mich krank.'

No, it's not a swear word, but it describes a dishonest action, so use it carefully.

Literally yes, but figuratively it just means taking the day off using sickness as an excuse.

The perfect tense is 'hat krankgefeiert'.

Usually, it's used for 1-3 days. For longer, people usually say 'krankgeschrieben sein'.

Yes, '{das|n} Krankfeiern', but the verb is much more common.

No, 'feiern' here refers to the old meaning of 'resting'.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

blaumachen

synonym

To skip work/school for any reason.

🔗

schwänzen

specialized form

To skip school or a specific class.

🔗

sich krankmelden

contrast

To officially report as sick.

🔗

faulenzen

similar

To be lazy / to idle.

🔗

einen Lenz machen

similar

To have a lazy, good time.

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