der Schaden
damage
A negative effect on an object that impairs its value, function, or appearance; damage.
EXAMPLE
Der Hagel hat einen erheblichen Schaden am Auto hinterlassen.
The hail left considerable damage on the car.
der Schaden
damage / harm
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Meanings
der Schaden
harm
A disadvantage or impairment for a person, e.g. to their health, reputation, or financial situation.
EXAMPLE
Die falschen Gerüchte haben seinem Ruf großen Schaden zugefügt.
The false rumors did great harm to his reputation.
zu Schaden kommen
to come to harm
To be injured or damaged.
EXAMPLE
Bei dem Feuer ist zum Glück niemand zu Schaden gekommen.
Fortunately, no one came to harm in the fire.
einen Schaden haben
to be crazy
A colloquial, often joking way of saying that someone is crazy, unreasonable, or eccentric.
EXAMPLE
Du willst bei dem Wetter ohne Jacke raus? Du hast doch einen Schaden!
You want to go out in this weather without a jacket? You must be crazy!
Usage tips
Word family and case
The noun 'der Schaden' (damage/harm) belongs to the verb 'schaden' (to harm). An important rule is that the verb 'schaden' always takes the dative, not the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Lärm schadet den Ohren.
Noise harms the ears.
Typical verbs
'Schaden' (damage/harm) is often combined with certain verbs. You can 'verursachen' (cause), 'anrichten' (cause/do), or 'zufügen' (inflict) damage. If you repair damage, you can 'beheben' (fix/remedy) it.
EXAMPLE
Der Sturm hat in der ganzen Region schwere Schäden verursacht.
The storm caused severe damage throughout the region.
Preposition with dative
To describe what something has been damaged on, you use the preposition 'an' followed by the dative.
EXAMPLE
Es gibt einen großen Schaden an der Hauswand.
There is major damage to the house wall.
Fixed expression
The expression 'zu Schaden kommen' (to come to harm) means to be injured or damaged. It is often used in official reports or news stories to provide information about accidents.
EXAMPLE
Bei dem Brand sind zum Glück keine Personen zu Schaden gekommen.
Fortunately, no people came to harm in the fire.
Colloquial expression
The expression 'einen Schaden haben' (to be crazy) is colloquial and expresses that someone is crazy or unreasonable. Depending on the context, it can be joking or insulting.
EXAMPLE
Er will bei Minusgraden im T-Shirt joggen? Der hat doch einen Schaden!
He wants to jog in a T-shirt in freezing temperatures? He must be crazy!
Compare with
VerlustMangelbeschädigenNachteilantunbeeinträchtigendefektBeeinträchtigungschädigenBeschädigungSchädigunganhaben
Schaden vs Verlust
loss
Schaden and Verlust can both refer to a financial loss. A Verlust is the deficit that occurs when expenses are higher than income. A financial Schaden, by contrast, is a specific impairment caused, for example, by a particular event.
Schaden
Durch die verspätete Eröffnung entstand dem Restaurant ein finanzieller Schaden von 10.000 Euro.
The delayed opening caused the restaurant financial damage amounting to 10,000 euros.
Verlust
Wegen höherer Ausgaben machte das Restaurant im ersten Monat einen Verlust von 10.000 Euro.
Because of higher expenses, the restaurant incurred a loss of 10,000 euros in its first month.
In real life
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