der Schrecken
horror
A strong feeling of fear and horror caused by something threatening or terrible.
EXAMPLE
Der Schrecken über den Unfall war allen deutlich anzusehen.
The horror caused by the accident was clearly visible on everyone's faces.
der Schrecken
terror / fright
der Schrecken, die Schrecken
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Meanings
der Schrecken
terror
A person or thing that causes great fear or distress.
EXAMPLE
Der neue Lehrer war für viele Schüler der reinste Schrecken.
The new teacher was an absolute terror to many students.
der Schrecken
horrors
Usually in the plural: the terrible, cruel aspects or experiences associated with something, especially war or violence.
EXAMPLE
Der Film zeigt die Schrecken der Diktatur ohne Beschönigung.
The film shows the horrors of the dictatorship without sugarcoating them.
der Schrecken
fright
In the fixed expression „jemandem einen Schrecken einjagen“ (to give someone a fright): to suddenly frighten someone greatly.
EXAMPLE
Du hast mir mit deinem Anruf mitten in der Nacht einen Schrecken eingejagt.
You gave me a fright by calling in the middle of the night.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Schrecken, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schrecken |
| genitive | des Schreckens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Schrecken | die Schrecken |
| accusative | den Schrecken | die Schrecken |
| dative | dem Schrecken | den Schrecken |
| genitive | des Schreckens | der Schrecken |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
„Schrecken“ (terror / fright) belongs to the word family with the stem „schreck-“ (fright-). „Erschrecken“ (to be startled / to frighten) and „schrecklich“ (terrible) also belong to this word family and help you recognize the meaning in context.
EXAMPLE
Sie war so erschrocken, dass ihr der Schrecken noch stundenlang in den Knochen saß.
She was so startled that the fright stayed with her for hours.
Typical preposition
For a feeling of horror, the phrase „der Schrecken über“ (the horror at) is often used with an accusative. This is usually followed by the event or news that triggered the feeling.
EXAMPLE
Der Schrecken über die Nachricht ließ die Familie einige Minuten schweigen.
The horror at the news left the family silent for several minutes.
Typical expression
For a person or thing that spreads fear, „Schrecken“ (terror) is often used with a genitive naming those affected: „der Schrecken der Nachbarschaft“ (the terror of the neighborhood), „der Schrecken aller Autofahrer“ (the terror of all drivers).
EXAMPLE
Der bissige Hund war der Schrecken der ganzen Straße.
The vicious dog was the terror of the entire street.
In the plural
In this meaning, „Schrecken“ (horrors) is usually used in the plural and often with a genitive stating what is being referred to: „die Schrecken des Krieges“ (the horrors of war), „die Schrecken der Vergangenheit“ (the horrors of the past).
EXAMPLE
Mein Großvater sprach nie über die Schrecken des Krieges.
My grandfather never spoke about the horrors of war.
Dative construction
In the fixed expression „jemandem einen Schrecken einjagen“ (to give someone a fright), the frightened person is in the dative. „Einen Schrecken“ (a fright) is the accusative object.
EXAMPLE
Der plötzliche Knall jagte mir einen Schrecken ein.
The sudden bang gave me a fright.
In real life
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