hell
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hell
A state or place of extreme suffering, pain, or chaos. Often used metaphorically for a very unpleasant situation.
Wegen des Staus auf der Autobahn war die Fahrt zur Arbeit die reinste Hölle.
Because of the traffic jam on the highway, the drive to work was pure hell.
hell
In many religions and mythologies, the place of eternal punishment for sinners after death.
Der Priester predigte, dass man in die Hölle kommt, wenn man ein schlechtes Leben führt.
The priest preached that you go to hell if you lead a bad life.
all hell breaks loose
A colloquial expression meaning that things are very chaotic, loud, or exciting.
Als das Konzert begann, war vor der Bühne die Hölle los.
When the concert began, all hell broke loose in front of the stage.
to give someone hell
A colloquial expression meaning to cause someone serious trouble, put them under strong pressure, or scold them harshly.
Wenn du dein Zimmer nicht aufräumst, mache ich dir die Hölle heiß!
If you don't clean up your room, I'll give you hell!
The prepositions are important here. Movement to this place is expressed with 'in die Hölle' (to hell; accusative). A state or stay there is described with 'in der Hölle' (in hell; dative).
Er wünschte seinen Feind in die Hölle.
He wished his enemy to hell.
In the figurative sense, 'Hölle' (hell) is often intensified. Common expressions are 'die reinste Hölle' (pure hell) or 'die Hölle auf Erden' (hell on earth), used to describe an extremely unpleasant situation.
Das Warten in der Schlange war die reinste Hölle.
Waiting in line was pure hell.
The literal, religious meaning of 'Hölle' (hell) is mostly found in texts about religion, mythology, or, figuratively, morality. Typical words in this context are 'Teufel' (devil), 'Sünde' (sin), or 'ewige Verdammnis' (eternal damnation).
In vielen Glaubensvorstellungen ist die Hölle ein Ort der Bestrafung.
In many belief systems, hell is a place of punishment.
In the idiom 'die Hölle los sein' (all hell to break loose), 'die Hölle' is the subject of the sentence. The structure is fixed and describes a very loud, chaotic, or lively situation.
Auf der Party war wirklich die Hölle los.
At the party, all hell really broke loose.
The expression 'jemandem die Hölle heiß machen' (to give someone hell) requires a person in the dative. This person is the one you are causing trouble for or putting under pressure.
Der Trainer machte der Mannschaft nach der Niederlage die Hölle heiß.
The coach gave the team hell after the defeat.
bear
Both die Hölle and der Bär occur in fixed expressions for a lot of hustle and bustle and a lively atmosphere. “Da ist die Hölle los” emphasizes noise, chaos, or excitement, whereas “Da ist der Bär los” usually describes a lively, cheerful atmosphere in a particular place.
Auf dem Marktplatz ist heute wegen des Festes die Hölle los.
The town square is absolutely chaotic today because of the festival.
In der kleinen Bar ist heute wegen der Livemusik der Bär los.
The small bar is buzzing today because of the live music.
