beating / club
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beating
Blows inflicted on someone as punishment or in a fight. The word is used almost exclusively in the plural.
Die beiden Jungen haben sich auf dem Schulhof geprügelt und dafür Ärger bekommen.
The two boys got into a fight in the schoolyard and got in trouble for it.
club / cudgel
A thick, heavy stick or club. This meaning is rarer and often outdated.
Er hob einen schweren Prügel vom Boden auf, um sich zu verteidigen.
He picked up a heavy club from the ground to defend himself.
The noun 'Prügel' (beating) is closely related to the verb 'prügeln' (to hit/beat) and the reflexive form 'sich prügeln' (to fight each other). This connection helps you understand the meaning.
Die Kinder haben sich auf dem Spielplatz geprügelt.
The children got into a fight on the playground.
You can recognize the meaning from the number: If the word is in the plural ('Prügel'), it almost always means blows or a beating. If it is in the singular with an article ('ein Prügel'), it means a stick.
Er hat für sein schlechtes Verhalten Prügel bekommen.
He got a beating for his bad behavior.
In the meaning 'Schläge' (blows), 'Prügel' is often combined with the verbs 'bekommen' (to get), 'kriegen' (to get), or 'austeilen' (to hand out/deal out). The phrase 'Prügel beziehen' is a somewhat more formal variant of 'Prügel bekommen' (to get a beating).
Wer sich nicht an die Regeln hält, bekommt Prügel.
Anyone who doesn't follow the rules gets a beating.
Using 'Prügel' to mean a stick is rare today and often sounds outdated. You are more likely to find it in older texts or in literature.
Der alte Mann drohte dem Hund mit einem Prügel.
The old man threatened the dog with a club.
blow / stroke
Schlag normally refers to a single, countable hit. Prügel, by contrast, is usually used in the plural and refers to several blows as one sustained beating, for example in a fight. Use Schlag for a single hit and Prügel for the attack as a whole.
Bei der Auseinandersetzung bekam er von mehreren Männern Prügel.
He was beaten up by several men during the altercation.
Bei der Auseinandersetzung bekam er einen Schlag ins Gesicht.
He took a blow to the face during the altercation.
