das Schlüsselbein
collarbone
An elongated bone between the breastbone and shoulder blade that connects the arm to the torso.
EXAMPLE
Beim Sturz hat er sich das Schlüsselbein gebrochen.
He broke his collarbone in the fall.
das Schlüsselbein
collarbone
das Schlüsselbein, die Schlüsselbeine
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Schlüsselbein, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schlüsselbeine |
| genitive | des Schlüsselbeines |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Schlüsselbein | die Schlüsselbeine |
| accusative | das Schlüsselbein | die Schlüsselbeine |
| dative | dem Schlüsselbein | den Schlüsselbeinen |
| genitive | des Schlüsselbeines des Schlüsselbeins | der Schlüsselbeine |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word composition
'Schlüsselbein' (collarbone) is made up of 'Schlüssel' (key) and 'Bein' (bone/leg). The word therefore refers to a particular 'Bein' (bone), meaning a bone whose shape or position is linguistically associated with a key.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Röntgenbild war ein Bruch am Schlüsselbein zu sehen.
The X-ray showed a fracture of the collarbone.
Typical collocations
'Schlüsselbein' (collarbone) commonly occurs in phrases such as 'sich das Schlüsselbein brechen' (to break one's collarbone), 'das Schlüsselbein verletzen' (to injure the collarbone), and 'einen Bruch am Schlüsselbein haben' (to have a fracture of the collarbone).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Fahrradunfall musste sie wegen eines Bruchs am Schlüsselbein operiert werden.
After the bicycle accident, she had to undergo surgery because of a fractured collarbone.
Referring to body parts
When a person is affected, 'Schlüsselbein' (collarbone) usually follows 'sich brechen' (to break one's) in the accusative with a definite article: 'sich das Schlüsselbein brechen' (to break one's collarbone). 'Sich' is in the dative and refers to the person affected.
EXAMPLE
Der Radfahrer hat sich bei dem Unfall das Schlüsselbein gebrochen.
The cyclist broke his collarbone in the accident.
In real life
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