wedge
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wedge
A tool with one or two slanted surfaces that has a triangular shape. It is used to split wood or stone, or to clamp objects in place.
Er schlug mit einem Hammer einen Keil in den Baumstamm, um ihn zu spalten.
He drove a wedge into the tree trunk with a hammer in order to split it.
You can recognize the figurative meaning by the fact that it is about relationships between people. The literal meaning, on the other hand, refers to splitting physical objects such as wood or stone.
Der Streit ums Erbe hat einen Keil in die Familie getrieben.
The dispute over the inheritance drove a wedge into the family.
When 'Keil' (wedge) is used as a tool, the typical verbs are '(in etwas) treiben' (to drive into something) or '(in etwas) schlagen' (to hammer into something). These describe the action of getting the wedge into a material.
Er schlug den Keil mit voller Kraft in das Holzstück.
He drove the wedge into the piece of wood with full force.
In the meaning 'keilförmiges Stück' (wedge-shaped piece), the word is often used for food. Typical examples are 'ein Keil Käse' (a wedge of cheese) or 'ein Keil Kuchen' (a wedge of cake).
Kann ich bitte noch einen kleinen Keil von der Torte haben?
Could I please have another small wedge of cake?
The idiom is 'einen Keil zwischen jemanden treiben' (to drive a wedge between people). The people who are being divided are in the accusative after the preposition 'zwischen' (between).
Sie versuchte, einen Keil zwischen mich und meinen Bruder zu treiben.
She tried to drive a wedge between me and my brother.
triangle
'das Dreieck' and 'der Keil' can both have a shape with a pointed side or three corners. However, a 'Dreieck' is mainly a flat geometric figure with three sides and three corners. A 'Keil' is usually an object or a shape that is wide on one side and tapers to a point on the other. It can be used for splitting or for wedging something in place. The words can be confused if you only think about the similar shape. For the purely geometric figure, you say 'Dreieck'; for a tool or a pointed, tapering object, you say 'Keil'.
Mein Bruder legt einen Keil unter die Tür, damit sie offen bleibt.
My brother puts a wedge under the door so that it stays open.
Im Matheheft zeichnet Lisa ein Dreieck mit drei gleich langen Seiten.
In her math notebook, Lisa draws a triangle with three sides of equal length.