battlefield
das Schlachtfeld, die Schlachtfelder
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battlefield
A place or area where a military battle is taking place or has taken place.
Auf dem alten Schlachtfeld stehen heute Denkmäler für die gefallenen Soldaten.
Today, monuments to the fallen soldiers stand on the old battlefield.
battlefield
A place marked by great disorder, chaos, or destruction. This meaning is used figuratively.
Nach der Party sah das Wohnzimmer wie ein Schlachtfeld aus.
After the party, the living room looked like a battlefield.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schlachtfelder |
| genitive | des Schlachtfeldes |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Schlachtfeld | die Schlachtfelder |
| accusative | das Schlachtfeld | die Schlachtfelder |
| dative | dem Schlachtfeld | den Schlachtfeldern |
| genitive | des Schlachtfeldes des Schlachtfelds | der Schlachtfelder |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
The word 'Schlachtfeld' (battlefield) is a direct compound of 'die Schlacht' (battle) and 'das Feld' (field). So it literally means a field on which a battle takes place.
Historiker untersuchen das alte Schlachtfeld auf neue Spuren.
Historians are examining the old battlefield for new traces.
You can recognize the figurative meaning from the context. If the place mentioned is something like a child's room, a kitchen, or an office, the meaning is almost always 'great disorder'. The comparison 'aussah wie ein Schlachtfeld' (looked like a battlefield) is often used.
Nachdem die Kinder mit ihren Spielsachen fertig waren, glich das Wohnzimmer einem Schlachtfeld.
After the children were done with their toys, the living room resembled a battlefield.
In a military context, 'Schlachtfeld' (battlefield) is often connected with verbs of fighting or death. Typical phrases are 'auf dem Schlachtfeld kämpfen' (to fight on the battlefield), 'auf dem Schlachtfeld fallen' (to fall on the battlefield), or 'das Schlachtfeld verlassen' (to leave the battlefield).
Viele junge Männer fielen auf den Schlachtfeldern des Ersten Weltkriegs.
Many young men fell on the battlefields of the First World War.
scene / setting
A Schauplatz can be the place where an important or dramatic event takes place; Schlachtfeld is the more specific term for the site of a military battle. Use „Schauplatz“ when the event is the general focus, and „Schlachtfeld“ when it is explicitly about a battle.
Die Ebene vor der Stadt wurde im Krieg zum Schlachtfeld.
During the war, the plain outside the city became a battlefield.
Die Stadt war im Krieg der Schauplatz eines dramatischen Geschehens.
During the war, the city was the scene of a dramatic event.
