krachen
to crack
To make a loud, short, and often splintering sound that occurs when hard objects break, collide, or strike something.
EXAMPLE
Plötzlich krachte ein Ast und fiel auf die Straße.
Suddenly, a branch cracked and fell onto the road.
krachen
to crash / crack
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Meanings
krachen
to crash
To hit something at high speed and with force; to have an accident.
EXAMPLE
Das Auto ist ungebremst gegen die Leitplanke gekracht.
The car crashed into the guardrail without braking.
es krachen lassen
to party hard
Colloquial for celebrating exuberantly and loudly or throwing a party.
EXAMPLE
An seinem Geburtstag will er es mal wieder richtig krachen lassen.
For his birthday, he wants to really party hard again.
krachen
to clash
Colloquial for having a loud argument or a heated confrontation.
EXAMPLE
Zwischen den beiden Geschäftsführern hat es in der Sitzung ordentlich gekracht.
The two managing directors really clashed during the meeting.
Usage tips
Auxiliary verb in the perfect tense
The perfect tense of 'krachen' (to crash/crack) is formed with 'haben' (to have) or 'sein' (to be). 'Haben' is used when it is only about the sound. 'Sein' is used when movement or an accident is being described.
EXAMPLE
Der Donner hat laut gekracht.
The thunder cracked loudly.
Sentence structure for accidents
When 'krachen' (to crash) describes a collision, it is often followed by a preposition that indicates direction. Typical constructions are 'gegen etwas (Akkusativ) krachen' (to crash into something) or 'in etwas (Akkusativ) krachen' (to crash into something).
EXAMPLE
Der Lastwagen ist gegen einen Baum gekracht.
The truck crashed into a tree.
Fixed expression
The colloquial idiom 'es krachen lassen' means 'to party hard' or 'to let loose.' The structure is fixed: a person (subject) 'lässt es krachen' (parties hard/lets loose).
EXAMPLE
Zu Silvester haben wir es richtig krachen lassen.
On New Year's Eve, we really partied hard.
Register and context
The meaning 'to argue fiercely' is colloquial. It is often used to describe a conflict between two or more people. Sometimes the preposition 'zwischen' (between) is used.
EXAMPLE
Gestern hat es zwischen den Nachbarn wieder ordentlich gekracht.
Yesterday, the neighbors clashed again pretty badly.
Compare with
krachen vs knallen
to bang / slam
Knallen and krachen can both refer to a sudden, loud noise. Knallen is especially suitable for a short, explosive sound, such as a door slamming, while krachen is more suggestive of hard objects, collisions, or splintering sounds. Choose the verb according to the typical source of the noise.
krachen
Beim Sturm krachte ein dicker Ast auf das Autodach.
During the storm, a thick branch crashed onto the car roof.
knallen
Die Tür knallte zu, als der Wind stärker wurde.
The door slammed shut as the wind grew stronger.
In real life
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