der Kraftakt
huge effort
A particularly great effort that is necessary to achieve a difficult goal or solve a major problem.
EXAMPLE
Die Sanierung des alten Gebäudes war ein echter Kraftakt.
Renovating the old building was a huge effort.
der Kraftakt
feat of strength
der Kraftakt, die Kraftakte
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Meanings
der Kraftakt
feat of strength
An action or performance in which someone uses an extraordinary amount of physical strength.
EXAMPLE
Das Anheben des schweren Steins war ein beeindruckender Kraftakt.
Lifting the heavy stone was an impressive feat of strength.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Kraftakt, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Kraftakte |
| genitive | des Kraftaktes |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Kraftakt | die Kraftakte |
| accusative | den Kraftakt | die Kraftakte |
| dative | dem Kraftakt | den Kraftakten |
| genitive | des Kraftaktes des Kraftakts | der Kraftakte |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Kraftakt' is made up of 'Kraft' (strength) and 'Akt' (act). Here, the component 'Akt' refers to an action; 'Kraft' can be understood literally as physical strength or figuratively.
EXAMPLE
Die Verlegung des schweren Teppichs wurde für uns zu einem Kraftakt.
Moving the heavy carpet became a real feat of strength for us.
Context clues
Words related to money, planning, or cooperation often point to the figurative meaning. With activities such as lifting, carrying, or pulling, physical strength is usually meant.
EXAMPLE
Die Finanzierung der neuen Schule war für die kleine Gemeinde ein Kraftakt.
Financing the new school was a huge effort for the small community.
Mit einem gewaltigen Kraftakt zog er den voll beladenen Wagen aus dem Schlamm.
With a tremendous feat of strength, he pulled the fully loaded cart out of the mud.
Typical collocations
Common collocations include 'ein finanzieller Kraftakt' (a huge financial effort), 'ein organisatorischer Kraftakt' (a huge organizational effort), and 'ein gemeinsamer Kraftakt' (a joint effort). The adjective shows which area requires particularly great effort or that several people are working together.
EXAMPLE
Der Umzug des gesamten Büros an nur einem Wochenende war ein organisatorischer Kraftakt.
Moving the entire office in just one weekend was a huge organizational effort.
In real life
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