sail
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sail
A large piece of cloth made of sturdy fabric that is attached to a mast in order to propel a ship using the force of the wind.
Der starke Wind blähte das weiße Segel des Bootes.
The strong wind filled the boat's white sail.
The noun 'das Segel' (sail) is the basis for the verb 'segeln' (to sail). When you sail, you travel in a sailboat.
Im Sommer segeln wir oft auf dem See.
In summer, we often sail on the lake.
In connection with sailboats, there are fixed verb combinations. You can 'die Segel setzen' or 'hissen' (to set/hoist the sails, in order to set off) and 'die Segel einholen' or 'bergen' (to take in/lower the sails, in order to stop).
Als der Wind stärker wurde, mussten wir die Segel einholen.
When the wind got stronger, we had to take in the sails.
The idiom 'die Segel streichen' means 'to give up' or 'to capitulate'. In this expression, 'die Segel' remains unchanged; only the verb 'streichen' is conjugated.
Nachdem sein Plan zum dritten Mal scheiterte, strich er die Segel.
After his plan failed for the third time, he gave up.
flag
'Flagge' and 'Segel' can both be pieces of cloth attached to a mast. That is exactly why they can be easy to confuse, especially on ships. A 'Flagge' shows a symbol, for example of a country or a group. It is used for identification or as a sign. A 'Segel' has a practical function: it catches the wind and moves a boat or ship. So: a flag shows who or what something belongs to; a sail helps with moving.
Nach dem Gespräch zog Paul das Segel hoch, weil der Wind stärker wurde.
After the conversation, Paul raised the sail because the wind had become stronger.
Am Heck des Bootes hängt eine kleine Flagge.
A small flag is hanging at the stern of the boat.