der Brandherd
fire origin
The place where a fire broke out or from which it is spreading.
EXAMPLE
Die Feuerwehr konnte den Brandherd schnell im Keller finden.
The fire department was able to quickly find the fire’s origin in the basement.
der Brandherd
fire origin / flashpoint
der Brandherd, die Brandherde
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
der Brandherd
flashpoint
The starting point or center of a conflict, unrest, or dangerous development.
EXAMPLE
Die internationale Gemeinschaft versucht, den Brandherd im Nahen Osten einzudämmen.
The international community is trying to contain the flashpoint in the Middle East.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Brandherd, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Brandherde |
| genitive | des Brandherdes |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Brandherd | die Brandherde |
| accusative | den Brandherd | die Brandherde |
| dative | dem Brandherd | den Brandherden |
| genitive | des Brandherdes des Brandherds | der Brandherde |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Compound words
'Brandherd' (fire origin / flashpoint) is made up of 'Brand' (fire) and 'Herd' (hearth). Here, 'Herd' refers to the central place from which something originates; this helps explain the word as the starting point of a fire.
EXAMPLE
Die Einsatzkräfte suchten den Brandherd im hinteren Teil des Gebäudes.
Emergency responders searched for the fire’s origin in the back part of the building.
Typical collocations
When referring to an actual fire, 'Brandherd' (fire origin) is often used with verbs such as 'finden' (to find), 'lokalisieren' (to locate), 'löschen' (to extinguish), and 'bekämpfen' (to fight).
EXAMPLE
Die Feuerwehr lokalisierte den Brandherd unter dem Dach.
The fire department located the fire’s origin beneath the roof.
Context clue
The figurative meaning is often recognizable from words related to politics and society, such as 'Konflikt' (conflict), 'Unruhe' (unrest), 'Region' (region), or 'Krise' (crisis). In these contexts, 'Brandherd' (flashpoint) does not refer to a place with an actual fire.
EXAMPLE
Beobachter sehen in der Grenzregion den gefährlichsten Brandherd der gesamten Krise.
Observers see the most dangerous flashpoint of the entire crisis in the border region.
In real life
Loading video examples...