gullet / abyss
Loading your saved state.
gullet
The anatomical area at the back of the mouth and throat that connects the esophagus and the windpipe.
Beim Schlucken gelangt die Nahrung vom Mund in den Schlund.
When swallowing, food passes from the mouth into the gullet.
abyss
A deep, dark, and often frightening opening or chasm, e.g. that of a cave or gorge.
Er blickte vorsichtig in den finsteren Schlund der Höhle.
He carefully looked into the dark abyss of the cave.
maw
The wide-open mouth of a large predatory animal.
Der Löwe riss seinen gewaltigen Schlund auf und brüllte.
The lion opened its enormous maw and roared.
'Schlund' (gullet / abyss / maw) is an expressive word that is mostly used in written language, in literary texts, or in technical language (anatomy). It is rather rare in everyday colloquial speech.
Der Dichter beschrieb den dunklen Schlund der Unterwelt.
The poet described the dark abyss of the underworld.
In the anatomical meaning, 'Schlund' (gullet) is used in a medical or biological context. Words like 'Rachen' (throat), 'Speiseröhre' (esophagus), or verbs like 'schlucken' (to swallow) point to this meaning.
Der Arzt untersuchte den Schlund des Patienten auf Entzündungen.
The doctor examined the patient's gullet for inflammation.
In the meaning 'Abgrund' (abyss), 'Schlund' is often combined with adjectives such as 'tief' (deep), 'dunkel' (dark), or 'finster' (gloomy/dark). A typical action is 'in den Schlund zu blicken' (to look into the abyss) or 'in den Schlund zu stürzen' (to plunge into the abyss).
Die Bergsteiger standen am Rande eines tiefen Schlundes.
The mountaineers stood at the edge of a deep abyss.
When it refers to an animal's mouth, it usually means a large or dangerous animal. A typical phrase is that the animal 'seinen Schlund aufreißt' (opens its maw wide).
Das Krokodil riss seinen gewaltigen Schlund auf.
The crocodile opened its enormous maw wide.
neck / throat
Both words can refer to an internal area in the throat. Hals is the usual, general term for complaints in the throat area, while Schlund refers to a narrower area at the back of the mouth and throat and is more stylistically marked. Hals is usually used in everyday speech; Schlund appears more often in special or vivid expressions.
Im alten Roman klagte der Ritter über Schmerzen im Schlund.
In the old novel, the knight complained of pain in his gullet.
Beim Schlucken sagte sie im Alltag einfach: Mein Hals tut weh.
In everyday speech, she simply said, “My throat hurts.”
