der Schwall
surge / gush
A large amount of liquid or gas that suddenly bursts forth and pours out.
EXAMPLE
Ein Schwall kalten Wassers strömte durch die geöffnete Tür.
A surge of cold water flowed through the open door.
der Schwall
surge / gush
der Schwall, die Schwalle
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Meanings
der Schwall
torrent / outpouring
A large amount of something that suddenly affects someone or something with great force, especially words or feelings.
EXAMPLE
Ein Schwall wütender Worte traf den überraschten Mitarbeiter.
A torrent of angry words hit the surprised employee.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Schwall, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schwalle |
| genitive | des Schwalls |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Schwall | die Schwalle die Schwälle |
| accusative | den Schwall | die Schwalle die Schwälle |
| dative | dem Schwall | den Schwallen den Schwällen |
| genitive | des Schwalls des Schwalles | der Schwalle der Schwälle |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Sentence pattern
'Schwall' (surge / gush) is often used with a quantity specified in the genitive or with 'von' (of) and the dative. The pattern 'ein Schwall kalten Wassers' (a surge of cold water) or 'ein Schwall von Worten' (a torrent of words) is particularly vivid.
EXAMPLE
Beim Öffnen der Kellertür schlug mir ein Schwall muffiger Luft entgegen.
When I opened the cellar door, a surge of stale air hit me.
Typical collocations
In the meaning referring to liquids or gases, 'Schwall' (surge / gush) is often combined with verbs such as 'sich ergießen' (to pour out), 'herausströmen' (to stream out), or 'hereinbrechen' (to come rushing in). Common substances include water, air, smoke, and steam.
EXAMPLE
Beim Öffnen des Behälters ergoss sich ein Schwall Dampf in den Raum.
When the container was opened, a surge of steam poured into the room.
Words and feelings
When referring to words or feelings, 'Schwall' (torrent / outpouring) is often used with words such as 'Worte' (words), 'Beschimpfungen' (insults), 'Tränen' (tears), or 'Gefühle' (feelings). It is also typical for this torrent to hit someone unexpectedly or to come crashing down on them.
EXAMPLE
Ein Schwall von Beschimpfungen brach über den verdutzten Nachbarn herein.
A torrent of insults came crashing down on the bewildered neighbor.
In real life
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