Schlager / hit
Loading your saved state.
Schlager music
A genre of German-language pop music characterized by simple melodies and lyrics about love and sentimentality.
Im Radio liefen den ganzen Nachmittag alte deutsche Schlager.
Old German Schlager songs were playing on the radio all afternoon.
'Der Schlager' (Schlager/hit) is derived from the verb 'schlagen' (to hit). Originally, it referred to a song that 'einschlägt' (makes an impact), meaning it is very successful—a 'hit'. This word origin explains both its meaning as a music title and as a successful product.
Dieses Lied war in den 70er Jahren ein riesiger Schlager.
This song was a huge hit in the 1970s.
As a music genre, 'Schlager' is a specific phenomenon in the German-speaking world. The music is often characterized by catchy, simple melodies and lyrics about themes such as love, home, and friendship.
Meine Großeltern hören am liebsten deutschen Schlager aus ihrer Jugendzeit.
My grandparents prefer listening to German Schlager music from their youth.
In the meaning of 'hit', 'Schlager' is often intensified with adjectives such as 'absolut' (absolute), 'echt' (real), or 'groß' (big). A common compound is also 'Verkaufsschlager' (bestseller) for a product that sells very well.
Die neue Kaffeemaschine ist der Verkaufsschlager in diesem Quartal.
The new coffee machine is the bestseller this quarter.
pop
'Pop' and 'Schlager' both belong to popular music and often have simple melodies. The difference is mainly in the style and typical context. 'Pop' is a broad term for modern entertainment music, often international as well. 'Schlager' usually means German-language songs with very catchy melodies and often themes such as love, longing, or good moods. Learners may confuse the words because Schlager can be a type of pop music. If you are talking about modern music in general, 'Pop' fits better. If you mean the typical German-language style, 'Schlager' is more precise.
Meine Tante hört gern Schlager, besonders Lieder über Liebe und Urlaub.
My aunt likes listening to Schlager music, especially songs about love and vacations.
Im Radio läuft heute viel Pop aus den USA und Deutschland.
There is a lot of pop from the USA and Germany on the radio today.