der Knall
bang
A sudden, loud, and short noise, like from an explosion, a shot, or a balloon bursting.
EXAMPLE
Mitten in der Nacht schreckte ich durch einen lauten Knall hoch.
In the middle of the night, I woke with a start because of a loud bang.
der Knall
bang
der Knall, die Knalle
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Meanings
einen Knall haben
to be crazy
A colloquial expression meaning that someone is crazy or not quite in their right mind.
EXAMPLE
Du willst bei diesem Gewitter draußen zelten? Du hast wohl einen Knall!
You want to camp outside in this thunderstorm? You must be crazy!
Knall auf Fall
suddenly
A fixed expression meaning 'suddenly and unexpectedly.'
EXAMPLE
Er hat seinen Job Knall auf Fall gekündigt und ist ausgewandert.
He suddenly quit his job and emigrated.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Knall, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Knalle |
| genitive | des Knalls |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Knall | die Knalle |
| accusative | den Knall | die Knalle |
| dative | dem Knall | den Knallen |
| genitive | des Knalls des Knalles | der Knalle |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Knall' (bang) is an onomatopoeic word that imitates a sound. The related verb is 'knallen' (to bang / slam).
EXAMPLE
Die Tür ist mit einem lauten Geräusch ins Schloss geknallt.
The door slammed shut with a loud noise.
Typical collocations
To describe the noise more precisely, 'Knall' (bang) is often combined with adjectives like 'laut' (loud), 'dumpf' (muffled), or 'kurz' (short).
EXAMPLE
Wir hörten einen dumpfen Knall aus der Ferne.
We heard a muffled bang in the distance.
Fixed expression
The colloquial idiom 'einen Knall haben' means that someone is crazy. The structure is fixed: a person 'hat' (has) 'einen Knall' (a bang).
EXAMPLE
Er will ohne Jacke bei Minusgraden rausgehen? Der hat doch einen Knall!
He wants to go outside without a jacket in freezing temperatures? He must be crazy!
Fixed expression
'Knall auf Fall' is a fixed idiom and means 'suddenly and without warning.' It is used like an adverb.
EXAMPLE
Knall auf Fall hat sie ihre Sachen gepackt und ist gegangen.
Suddenly, she packed her things and left.
Word order
When 'Knall auf Fall' is at the beginning of a sentence (position 1), the conjugated verb follows directly after it in position 2. The subject then moves behind the verb.
EXAMPLE
Knall auf Fall änderte sich die Situation.
Suddenly, the situation changed.
Compare with
Knall vs Schlag
blow / stroke
Both Schlag and Knall refer to a sudden, loud noise. Schlag is more suitable for a single impact or dull hit, whereas Knall specifically refers to the short, sharp sound of an explosion, a gunshot, or a balloon bursting. Choose Knall when this quality is the focus.
Knall
Als der Luftballon platzte, hörten wir einen lauten Knall.
When the balloon burst, we heard a loud bang.
Schlag
Als der schwere Karton auf den Boden fiel, hörten wir einen dumpfen Schlag.
When the heavy box fell to the floor, we heard a dull thud.
In real life
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