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.
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.
miracle / wonder
'das Wunder' and 'der Glücksfall' can both describe something very pleasant and unexpected. 'Wunder' sounds stronger and emphasizes amazement: something seems unbelievable or especially impressive. 'Glücksfall' emphasizes the fortunate coincidence or the great advantage in a situation. A person can also be a 'Glücksfall' if they are very useful to others. If you mainly want to say that you were lucky, 'Glücksfall' fits better. If you want to emphasize what is amazing and almost unbelievable, 'Wunder' fits better.
Die neue Kollegin ist für das Team ein echter Glücksfall.
The new colleague is a real asset for the team.
Dass der alte Laptop kurz vor der Prüfung wieder lief, war für Max ein Wunder.
The fact that the old laptop started working again just before the exam was a miracle for Max.