to get by / to bleed through / to break through
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to get by
To struggle through life or a difficult situation with great effort; to just about manage.
Nachdem er seinen Job verloren hatte, musste er sich mit Gelegenheitsarbeiten durchschlagen.
After he lost his job, he had to get by with odd jobs.
to bleed through
For liquid or color to penetrate through a material such as paper or fabric and become visible on the other side.
Der Filzstift ist so stark, dass die Farbe auf der nächsten Seite durchschlägt.
The felt-tip pen is so strong that the color bleeds through onto the next page.
to break through
To break through something with force or punch a hole into it.
Der Boxer hat mit einem einzigen Hieb das Brett durchgeschlagen.
The boxer broke through the board with a single blow.
to catch on
Figuratively, to have an effect; to successfully make itself felt or become established.
Trotz intensiver Werbung ist die neue Produktlinie beim Kunden nicht richtig durchgeschlagen.
Despite intensive advertising, the new product line never really caught on with customers.
to fight one's way through
In a military or dangerous situation: to fight one's way through enemy lines or difficult terrain.
Die versprengte Einheit konnte sich nachts bis zu den eigenen Linien durchschlagen.
The scattered unit was able to fight its way through to its own lines at night.
'Durchschlagen' is a separable verb in these meanings. The prefix 'durch' goes at the end in a main clause, the verb stays together in a subordinate clause, and in the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' goes in the middle.
Er schlug sich mit kleinen Jobs durch.
He got by with small jobs.
In the meanings 'gerade so zurechtkommen' (to just about manage) and 'sich einen Weg kämpfen' (to fight one's way through), the verb is reflexive. You must always use 'sich durchschlagen'.
Als Studentin musste sie sich mit sehr wenig Geld durchschlagen.
As a student, she had to get by on very little money.
The verb consists of 'durch' (through) and 'schlagen' (to hit/strike). The basic idea is to 'strike' a path through an obstacle. This image is used both literally (smashing through a board) and figuratively (struggling through life).
Er hat sich erfolgreich durch die Bürokratie durchgeschlagen.
He successfully fought his way through the bureaucracy.
When it is about survival, 'sich durchschlagen' (to get by) is often combined with prepositions such as 'mit' or adverbs such as 'allein' or 'irgendwie': 'sich mit Gelegenheitsjobs durchschlagen' (to get by with odd jobs), 'sich allein durchschlagen' (to get by on one's own), 'sich irgendwie durchschlagen' (to get by somehow).
Nach dem Umzug in die neue Stadt musste er sich die erste Zeit allein durchschlagen.
After moving to the new city, he had to get by on his own at first.
This meaning always refers to materials. The subject is usually a liquid or color such as 'Tinte' (ink), 'Farbe' (paint/color), or 'Wasser' (water), which penetrates through paper, fabric, or a wall.
Die Feuchtigkeit im Keller schlägt bereits durch die Wand durch.
The moisture in the basement is already bleeding through the wall.
In the figurative meaning 'Wirkung zeigen' (to have an effect), the verb is very often used in a negative sense to express that an idea, a reform, or a product was not successful.
Die Kampagne ist bei den Wählern nicht wirklich durchgeschlagen.
The campaign did not really catch on with voters.
to break through / break in two
Durchbrechen and durchschlagen can both express forcefully overcoming a barrier. Durchbrechen emphasizes that the boundary is broken and overcome; durchschlagen highlights the forceful impact or the hole it creates.
Ein schwerer Hammer durchschlug die dünne Wand und hinterließ ein großes Loch.
A heavy hammer broke through the thin wall and left a large hole.
Die Einsatzkräfte durchbrachen die dünne Wand und gelangten in den Nebenraum.
The emergency responders broke through the thin wall and reached the adjoining room.
