My dictionary says that the meaning of condition is "Zustand" and "Bedingung" but I do not know when to take which.
E.g. how can I say:
Yes, but in one condition.
and
He is in a good condition.
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3Much better now, thank you for the edit. I made some minor changes, hope you like it :)– TakkatFeb 6, 2018 at 14:55
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"Yes, but in one condition" is not even correct English. Do you mean "on one condition"?– PiedPiperFeb 7, 2018 at 9:31
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6 Answers
The dictionary you seem to be using has a nice feature: the words given as possible alternatives can all be clicked as well. You then get an overview of translation options, possible synonyms, alternative meanings and so on.
That gives you for Zustand:
Zustand {m}: condition [state] – state [condition] – shape – status – way [state] – state of affairs
That gives you for Bedingung:
Bedingung {f}: condition – requirement – prerequisite – term [condition] – stipulation [condition] – proviso – qualification – qualifier [condition]
Comparing these you might conclude that:
Yes, but on/under one condition. (prerequisite)
> Ja, aber unter einer Bedingung.
He is in a good condition. (state)
> Er ist in einem guten Zustand.
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1Wouldn't that be "on/under one condition"? Never heard of "in one condition" when referring to a prerequisite.– user17009Feb 6, 2018 at 23:03
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Teach a man how to fish
In the same way as you distinguish between the different meanings of the English word “condition”. Then match the relevant definition given in your English dictionary with those in the German dictionary relating to the offered translations.
Give a man a fish
condition
1. A logical clause or phrase that a conditional statement uses.
2. A requirement, term or requisite.
4. The state or quality.
5. A particular state of being.
Wiktionary offers translations of all meanings to various languages, most of them with a German representative.
Zustand
[1] Art und Weise, wie etwas zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt ist
Bedingung
[1] Forderung, von der etwas abhängt
[2] meist nur im Plural: Umstände, von denen etwas abhängt oder die etwas begleiten
[3] Rechtswesen: Wirksamkeitserfordernis
[5] Linguistik: Bedingungssatz
Unfortunately, I may not comment yet. However let me just add to LangLangC's Answer:
You cannot always translate a medical condition in that way. What you may say is:
Mein medizinischer Zustand ist gut. (My medical condition is fine)
However the sentence
I have a medical condition
would translate to:
Ich bin krank (I am sick)
or:
Ich habe medizinische Probleme (I have medical issues)
Also, keep in mind that there is a false friend 'Kondition' in German, which translates to 'stamina' in English.
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2"Mein medizinischer Zustand ist gut." - even that sounds quite stilted. Like something Mr. Data might say. "Mein gesundheitlicher Zustand ist gut." is a bit more natural, but most would rather just say "Ich bin bei guter Gesundheit." Feb 6, 2018 at 21:07
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1
"Zustand" means "condition" in the sense of "standing." That is a reference to "state of the world," or "shape," etc.
"Bedingung means "condition" in the sense of "stipulation." The would refer to "terms and conditions" or a "prerequisite."
Zustand can mean state, for example, in statistical physics.
answered Feb 6, 2018 at 12:52
The form "zustand" can also be the past tense 3rd person singular of "zustehen", as in "Er erhielt, was ihm zustand." (= "He got what he deserved/what he was entitled to.")
"Zustand" being a noun can be used as "state", "shape" or "condition", mostly it is being used refering to objects, sometimes to people.
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1How does this answer when to pick which translation of condition. Feb 6, 2018 at 16:37
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2@O.R.Mapper The question was significantly changed and this answer refers to the initial version of the question.– EllerFeb 6, 2018 at 21:34