toad
die Kröte, die Kröten
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toad
An amphibian that resembles a frog but usually has drier, warty skin and tends to move by walking or with short hops.
Nach dem Regen saß eine dicke Kröte auf dem feuchten Gartenweg.
After the rain, a fat toad was sitting on the damp garden path.
to swallow a bitter pill
To have to accept or put up with something very unpleasant in order to achieve a larger goal or end a conflict.
Bei den Verhandlungen musste er die Kröte schlucken und auf eine seiner Hauptforderungen verzichten.
During the negotiations, he had to swallow a bitter pill and give up one of his main demands.
cash
Colloquially, usually in the plural ('Kröten'), meaning money.
Ohne die nötigen Kröten kannst du dir so ein teures Auto nicht leisten.
Without the necessary cash, you can't afford such an expensive car.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Kröten |
| genitive | der Kröte |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Kröte | die Kröten |
| accusative | die Kröte | die Kröten |
| dative | der Kröte | den Kröten |
| genitive | der Kröte | der Kröten |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
You can easily recognize the meaning from context. The animal meaning often stands on its own. The idiom 'eine Kröte schlucken' (to swallow a bitter pill) is a fixed unit. The colloquial meaning 'Geld' (money) is almost always used in the plural ('Kröten').
Im Teich hinter dem Haus leben viele Kröten.
Many toads live in the pond behind the house.
Um den Job zu bekommen, musste ich eine Kröte schlucken.
To get the job, I had to swallow a bitter pill.
So ein Urlaub kostet ordentlich Kröten.
A vacation like that costs a decent amount of cash.
The idiom 'eine Kröte schlucken' (to swallow a bitter pill) is a fixed unit. It means that you have to accept something very unpleasant in order to achieve a goal. The verb 'schlucken' (to swallow) is a fixed part of it.
Er musste die Kröte schlucken und sich für einen Fehler entschuldigen, den er nicht gemacht hatte.
He had to swallow the bitter pill and apologize for a mistake he hadn't made.
When 'Kröten' (cash/money) stands for money, it is always colloquial. This meaning is used almost exclusively in the plural. People say 'die nötigen Kröten haben' (to have the necessary cash) or 'ein paar Kröten verdienen' (to earn a few bucks).
Für die Reparatur fehlen mir im Moment die nötigen Kröten.
At the moment, I'm missing the necessary cash for the repair.
