der Felsbrocken
boulder
A large, heavy piece of rock.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Erdrutsch versperrte ein riesiger Felsbrocken die Straße.
After the landslide, a huge boulder blocked the road.
der Felsbrocken
boulder
der Felsbrocken, die Felsbrocken
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Felsbrocken, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Felsbrocken |
| genitive | des Felsbrockens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Felsbrocken | die Felsbrocken |
| accusative | den Felsbrocken | die Felsbrocken |
| dative | dem Felsbrocken | den Felsbrocken |
| genitive | des Felsbrockens | der Felsbrocken |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Felsbrocken' is made up of 'Fels' (rock) and 'Brocken' (chunk). The component 'Brocken' refers to a single, irregularly shaped piece; 'Fels' indicates the material.
EXAMPLE
Am Fuß der Felswand lagen mehrere Felsbrocken.
Several boulders lay at the foot of the rock face.
Describing movement
When boulders start moving, the collocations 'sich lösen' (to break loose), 'ins Tal stürzen' (to plunge into the valley), and 'den Hang hinunterrollen' (to roll down the slope) are often used. You can use these to describe the course of a rockfall.
EXAMPLE
Ein Felsbrocken löste sich aus der Wand und rollte den Hang hinunter.
A boulder broke loose from the rock face and rolled down the slope.
Typical collocations
When a boulder is an obstacle, 'den Weg versperren' (to block the path) and 'die Straße blockieren' (to block the road) are typical collocations. To describe its removal, 'einen Felsbrocken wegräumen' (to clear away a boulder) is often used.
EXAMPLE
Die Feuerwehr musste einen Felsbrocken wegräumen, der die Zufahrt blockierte.
The fire department had to clear away a boulder that was blocking the access road.
In real life
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