Lebensabschnittsgefährte

When you call your partner a "Lebensabschnittsgefährte," there probably won't be a 'Happily ever after' for you two love birds as this word makes it quite obvious that you don't intend to spend the rest of your life with that person. He or she is only considered a partner for a certain period in your life, and after you move on to the next stage of your life, you might want to move on from the relationship as well. Lebensabschnittgefährte literally translates to periodic life partner. But then again, some people end up being a Lebensabschnittsgefährte for a long long time – and sometimes those periodic commitments last longer than some hasty weddings.