01
der Lauf
run
Movement by fast walking or running, often as a sporting activity.
example
Nach einem zehn Kilometer Lauf war sie erschöpft.
After a ten-kilometer run, she was exhausted.
der Lauf
run / course / barrel
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Der Lauf' is the noun related to the verb 'laufen' (to run/walk). Many meanings of 'Lauf' are derived directly from the basic idea of movement or progression contained in 'laufen'.
EXAMPLE
Der schnelle Lauf des Flusses macht das Schwimmen gefährlich.
The fast course of the river makes swimming dangerous.
Typical collocations
In its abstract meaning, 'Lauf' is often used in fixed expressions that describe a development. Common ones are 'der Lauf der Zeit' (the passage of time), 'der Lauf der Geschichte' (the course of history), or 'der Lauf der Dinge' (the course of events).
EXAMPLE
Man kann den Lauf der Zeit nicht aufhalten.
You can't stop the passage of time.
Use with genitive
The preposition 'im Laufe' (in the course of) is almost always followed by the genitive. It describes that something happens during a certain period of time.
EXAMPLE
Im Laufe des Tages wurde das Wetter immer besser.
In the course of the day, the weather kept getting better.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'auf dem Laufenden sein/bleiben' means to be/stay informed. The active version is 'jemanden auf dem Laufenden halten' (to keep someone up to date), meaning to inform someone.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mich bitte über die Ergebnisse auf dem Laufenden halten?
Could you please keep me up to date about the results?
Context clue
You can clearly recognize the meaning 'Rohr einer Waffe' (barrel of a weapon) from the context. It appears only in texts or conversations about weapons, the military, police, or crime.
EXAMPLE
Der Polizist reinigte den Lauf seiner Dienstwaffe.
The police officer cleaned the barrel of his service weapon.
Technical language
The meaning 'Bein eines Tieres' (leg of an animal) is a technical term from hunting language. In normal usage, you would say 'das Bein' (the leg) instead.
EXAMPLE
Der Jäger erkannte an den Spuren, dass der Hirsch einen verletzten Lauf hatte.
From the tracks, the hunter recognized that the stag had an injured leg.
Compare with
Lauf vs während
during / while
'während' and 'im Laufe von' can both express that something happens within a certain period of time. 'während' is the simpler and very direct form: 'während des Kurses' (during the course). 'im Laufe von' sounds a bit more elaborate and tends to emphasize that something happens gradually or at some point within that period. In many normal sentences, you can use both in a similar way. Important: here, 'der Lauf' is not about running or a race, but about the fixed expression 'im Laufe von' (in the course of).
Lauf
Im Laufe des Tages meldet sich meine Schwester mit den neuen Informationen.
In the course of the day, my sister will get in touch with the new information.
während
Während des Gesprächs hat ihr Handy mehrmals geklingelt.
During the conversation, her phone rang several times.
In real life
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