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brettern
to barrel along
Colloquial for driving or running very fast, often in a reckless way.
example
Er ist mit seinem Motorrad über die Landstraße gebrettert.
He barreled along the country road on his motorcycle.
brettern
to barrel along / to board
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'brettern' is derived from the noun 'das Brett' (board/plank). The rare, literal meaning is to cover something with boards. The common, colloquial meaning of driving fast alludes to the hard, loud sound, as if one were driving over wooden boards.
EXAMPLE
Der alte Schuppen wurde mit neuen Brettern gebrettert.
The old shed was boarded with new planks.
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning from context. If it is about vehicles, speed, or sports, it always means 'to drive/go fast'. Only in the rare context of construction work or wooden cladding does it have the literal meaning 'to board up with planks'.
EXAMPLE
Der Skifahrer ist die schwarze Piste hinuntergebrettert.
The skier barreled down the black slope.
Register
In the meaning 'to drive fast', 'brettern' (to barrel along) is a very colloquial word. Use it in informal conversations, but avoid it in formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Was bretterst du so durch die 30er-Zone?
Why are you barreling through the 30 km/h zone like that?
Typical collocations
The verb is often used in connection with vehicles or sports. Typical combinations are 'mit dem Auto brettern' (to barrel along by car), 'über die Autobahn brettern' (to barrel along the highway), or 'die Piste hinunterbrettern' (to barrel down the slope).
EXAMPLE
Am Wochenende brettern viele Motorradfahrer durch die Berge.
On weekends, many motorcyclists barrel through the mountains.
Sentence structure with prepositions
When a route or path is mentioned, 'brettern' (to barrel along) often appears with prepositions that describe movement through or over something, followed by the accusative. Common ones are 'durch' (through), 'über' (over/along), or 'entlang' (along).
EXAMPLE
Der LKW ist mit 100 km/h über die Landstraße gebrettert.
The truck barreled along the country road at 100 km/h.
Compare with
brettern vs heizen
to heat / speed
'heizen' and 'brettern' can both colloquially mean that someone drives very fast or moves very quickly. 'heizen' sounds a bit more general and mainly refers to high speed. 'brettern' sounds stronger and rougher: it fits especially when someone is driving or running very fast and perhaps recklessly. For normal fast driving, 'heizen' is often more neutral, while 'brettern' is more vivid and a bit more informal or rough.
brettern
Die Jugendlichen bretterten mit ihren Rädern durch die enge Gasse.
The teenagers barreled through the narrow alley on their bikes.
heizen
Auf der leeren Landstraße heizte Max viel zu schnell nach Hause.
On the empty country road, Max sped home far too fast.
In real life
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