to beat / to fight / to play cards
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to beat / knock
Colloquial for hitting, beating, or knocking. It describes a strong, often loud striking motion.
Früher hat man die Teppiche im Hof gekloppt, um sie zu reinigen.
In the past, people used to beat the carpets in the courtyard to clean them.
The verb 'kloppen' clearly belongs to colloquial language in all of its meanings. It should be avoided in formal or written contexts.
Lass uns nicht streiten, wir wollen uns doch nicht kloppen.
Let's not argue; we don't want to get into a fight.
In the meaning of 'pochen' (to knock) or 'hauen' (to hit), 'kloppen' is often used with the preposition 'an' and the dative to name the target of the blow.
Jemand kloppte laut an die Tür.
Someone knocked loudly on the door.
In the meaning of 'sich prügeln' (to fight), the verb is always used reflexively: 'sich kloppen' (to fight). The other person is often named with the preposition 'mit' (with).
Die beiden haben sich gestern auf dem Schulhof gekloppt.
The two of them got into a fight yesterday in the schoolyard.
In the context of card games, 'kloppen' is used in fixed expressions. Typical phrases are 'Karten kloppen' (to play cards) or 'eine Runde Skat kloppen' (to play a round of Skat).
Wir haben bis spät in die Nacht Karten gekloppt.
We played cards until late into the night.
to hit / beat
'schlagen' and 'kloppen' can both describe a striking motion or strong pounding. 'schlagen' is the normal, neutral word and fits in many situations. 'kloppen' is colloquial and often sounds louder, stronger, or somewhat rougher. It is used more in casual spoken language, for example when someone is hammering on a door or people are physically fighting. For factual texts or more serious situations, 'schlagen' is usually more natural.
Jemand kloppt so laut gegen die Haustür, dass alle im Flur aufschauen.
Someone is pounding so loudly on the front door that everyone in the hallway looks up.
Mein Herz schlägt schneller, wenn ich vor der Klasse sprechen muss.
My heart beats faster when I have to speak in front of the class.