der Schlag
blow / hit
A short, forceful push or strike with the hand or an object.
EXAMPLE
Der Boxer landete einen harten Schlag.
The boxer landed a hard blow.
der Schlag
blow / stroke
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Meanings
der Schlag
blow / setback
A sudden negative event that hits someone hard; a blow of fate.
EXAMPLE
Der Tod seiner Frau war ein schwerer Schlag für ihn.
The death of his wife was a severe blow to him.
der Schlag
stroke
A sudden loss of brain function caused by a disruption in blood flow; a stroke.
EXAMPLE
Mein Großvater erholt sich langsam von seinem Schlag.
My grandfather is slowly recovering from his stroke.
auf einen Schlag
all at once
Everything at once, at the same time.
EXAMPLE
Er hat alle seine Schulden auf einen Schlag zurückgezahlt.
He paid back all his debts all at once.
der Schlag
bang / crash
A sudden, loud noise caused by an impact or an explosion.
EXAMPLE
Mitten in der Nacht hörten wir einen lauten Schlag.
In the middle of the night, we heard a loud bang.
der Schlag
type / kind
A particular type or kind of person.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist ein ganz anderer Schlag Mensch als ihr Bruder.
She is a completely different type of person than her brother.
der Schlag
chime / strike
The sound a clock makes on the hour.
EXAMPLE
Beim zwölften Schlag der Turmuhr begann das Fest.
At the twelfth strike of the tower clock, the celebration began.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Schlag' (the blow/stroke) is the noun related to the verb 'schlagen' (to hit/strike). Many meanings, including the figurative ones, derive from the basic idea of a sudden, forceful push or event.
EXAMPLE
Der Schlag des Hammers auf den Nagel war laut.
The blow of the hammer on the nail was loud.
Medical context
In a medical context, 'der Schlag' (stroke) is almost always a short form of 'der Schlaganfall' (stroke). Typical verbs in this context are 'einen Schlag erleiden' (to suffer a stroke) or 'einen Schlag haben' (to have a stroke).
EXAMPLE
Nach seinem Schlag musste er das Sprechen neu lernen.
After his stroke, he had to learn to speak again.
Fixed expression
The expression 'auf einen Schlag' (all at once) is a fixed idiom and means 'alles auf einmal' (everything at once) or 'plötzlich und gleichzeitig' (suddenly and simultaneously). The form cannot be changed.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat alle ihre Probleme auf einen Schlag gelöst.
She solved all her problems all at once.
Figurative meaning
When 'Schlag' (blow) describes a negative life event, it is often combined with adjectives like 'schwer' (severe), 'hart' (hard), or 'persönlich' (personal). It is then a 'Schlag des Schicksals' (blow of fate).
EXAMPLE
Der Verlust des Arbeitsplatzes war ein harter Schlag für die ganze Familie.
Losing the job was a hard blow for the whole family.
Usage pattern
When 'Schlag' (type/kind) describes a kind of person, the word 'Mensch' (person) always follows. The structure is 'ein ... Schlag Mensch' (a ... type of person), for example 'ein besonderer Schlag Mensch' (a special type of person) or 'ein ruhiger Schlag Mensch' (a calm type of person).
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein ganz anderer Schlag Mensch als seine Schwester.
He is a completely different type of person than his sister.
Typical verbs
In the literal meaning of a blow, the typical verbs are 'einen Schlag bekommen' (to receive a blow; passive) and 'jemandem einen Schlag geben/versetzen' (to give/deal someone a blow; active).
EXAMPLE
Er hat im Streit einen Schlag auf den Kopf bekommen.
During the argument, he received a blow to the head.
Context clue: noise
When 'Schlag' (bang/crash) describes a noise, it is often used with the verb 'hören' (to hear) or adjectives like 'laut' (loud) or 'dumpf' (dull/muffled). Unlike the blow (meaning 1), there is no physical contact with a person here.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe einen lauten Schlag gehört und bin aufgewacht.
I heard a loud bang and woke up.
Compare with
Schlag vs Typ
guy / type
Typ and Schlag can refer to a particular type of person. Typ can directly be used as a term for an individual person. Schlag, by contrast, refers more to a group of similar people and therefore usually appears in phrases such as „ein Schlag von Menschen“ (a type of people).
Schlag
Jonas gehört zu jenem ruhigen Schlag von Menschen, die Streit vermeiden.
Jonas belongs to that quiet type of people who avoid arguments.
Typ
Jonas ist ein ruhiger Typ, der Streit vermeidet.
Jonas is a quiet type who avoids arguments.
In real life
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