01
kampflos
without a fight
Without putting up a fight or resistance; surrendering.
example
Die belagerte Festung ergab sich kampflos.
The besieged fortress surrendered without a fight.
kampflos
without a fight
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The word is composed of 'Kampf' (fight) and the ending '-los' (-less, without). The ending '-los' means 'without', so 'kampflos' literally means 'without a fight'.
EXAMPLE
Der Gegner war so stark, dass unser Team den Sieg kampflos abgeben musste.
The opponent was so strong that our team had to concede the victory without a fight.
Adverbial use
'Kampflos' is very often used like an adverb to describe how an action is carried out. In that case, it remains unchanged after the verb.
EXAMPLE
Die Mannschaft hat das Spiel kampflos verloren.
The team lost the game without a fight.
Typical collocations
In the literal sense, 'kampflos' is often combined with verbs such as 'sich ergeben' (to surrender), 'aufgeben' (to give up), 'verlieren' (to lose), or 'eine Stadt übergeben' (to hand over a city).
EXAMPLE
Nach wochenlanger Belagerung ergab sich die Armee kampflos.
After weeks of siege, the army surrendered without a fight.
Compare with
kampflos vs ergeben
to result / surrender
'sich ergeben' and 'kampflos' both have to do with giving up or a lack of resistance. 'sich ergeben' is a verb and describes the action: someone gives up, surrenders, or resigns themselves to a situation. 'kampflos' is an adjective and describes how something happens: without a fight, without resistance, or without great effort. The words can be confused because they often appear in similar situations. But you say 'jemand ergibt sich' (someone surrenders / resigns themselves) and 'jemand gibt kampflos auf' (someone gives up without a fight) or 'ein kampfloser Sieg' (a victory without a fight).
kampflos
Die Mannschaft gab das Spiel nicht kampflos auf.
The team did not give up the game without a fight.
ergeben
Die Soldaten ergeben sich, weil sie keine Munition mehr haben.
The soldiers surrender because they have no ammunition left.
In real life
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