stroke of luck
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stroke of luck
A particularly favorable, pleasant, and often unexpected circumstance or a fortunate event.
Es war ein reiner Glücksfall, dass ich die verlorene Brieftasche wiedergefunden habe.
It was a pure stroke of luck that I found the lost wallet again.
great asset
A person who is of great benefit and an enrichment to others or to an organization.
Die neue Mitarbeiterin erwies sich für das ganze Team als echter Glücksfall.
The new employee proved to be a real asset for the whole team.
The word is made up of 'das Glück' (luck) and 'der Fall' (case). So it literally describes a 'case of luck' or a fortunate event.
Dass wir die letzte Fähre noch erreicht haben, war ein großer Glücksfall.
The fact that we still caught the last ferry was a great stroke of luck.
The meanings are easy to distinguish: if 'Glücksfall' (stroke of luck) refers to a situation, a 'dass' (that) construction is often used. If it refers to a person, it is usually followed by the preposition 'für' (for) (e.g. 'für das Team' (for the team)).
Es war ein Glücksfall, dass an diesem Tag noch ein Zimmer frei war.
It was a stroke of luck that a room was still available that day.
To emphasize the degree of luck, 'Glücksfall' (stroke of luck) is often combined with adjectives such as 'rein' (pure), 'echt' (real), or 'groß' (great).
Der Lottogewinn war ein reiner Glücksfall.
The lottery win was a pure stroke of luck.
When a person is referred to as a 'Glücksfall' (great asset), the verb 'sich erweisen als' (to prove to be) or simply 'sein' (to be) is often used in combination with the preposition 'für' (for).
Diese Praktikantin hat sich als wahrer Glücksfall für unsere Abteilung erwiesen.
This intern has proven to be a real asset for our department.
gift
Geschenk and Glücksfall can both refer to a very positive circumstance. Glücksfall emphasizes that something unexpectedly favorable has happened. Geschenk presents the advantage more as something valuable that one has received without having to earn it.
Dass wir unerwartet eine zusätzliche freie Woche bekommen, ist ein Glücksfall.
The fact that we unexpectedly got an extra week off is a stroke of luck.
Die zusätzliche freie Woche ist für uns ein Geschenk.
The extra week off is a gift for us.
