flood / deluge
Loading your saved state.
the Flood
The great, all-inundating flood that, according to biblical tradition and other myths, covered the earth.
In der Geschichte von der Arche Noah überlebten nur wenige die Sintflut.
In the story of Noah's Ark, only a few survived the Flood.
The word comes from Middle High German 'sinvluot'. The prefix 'sin-' meant 'always, continuous, comprehensive.' A 'Sintflut' (flood/deluge) is therefore literally an all-encompassing flood.
Die Legende einer großen Sintflut findet sich in vielen alten Kulturen.
The legend of a great flood is found in many ancient cultures.
The meanings for heavy rain or a large quantity are figurative extensions of the original biblical meaning. The word is used as a strong exaggeration (hyperbole) to describe an extreme situation.
Als das Konzert begann, setzte eine Sintflut ein und alle wurden nass.
When the concert began, a deluge set in and everyone got wet.
The adjective 'sintflutartig' (torrential) is derived from the noun 'Sintflut' (flood/deluge). It is often used to describe extremely heavy rain.
Wegen sintflutartiger Regenfälle mussten mehrere Straßen gesperrt werden.
Because of torrential rainfall, several roads had to be closed.
When 'Sintflut' (flood/deluge) describes a large amount of something, it is usually used with the preposition 'von' (of) or 'an' (of/in) followed by the dative.
Nach der Rede erhielt er eine Sintflut von Glückwünschen.
After the speech, he received a flood of congratulations.
tide / flood
'die Flut' and 'die Sintflut' both have to do with a lot of water or with a very large amount. 'Flut' is the normal word for a flood or for a large amount of something. 'Sintflut' sounds much stronger and more dramatic. It recalls a huge, all-covering flood from religious or mythical stories. In everyday language, 'Sintflut' is often used exaggeratedly when it is raining extremely heavily. Learners may confuse the words because both can mean a lot of water. When speaking factually about water on streets or in basements, 'Flut' or 'Überschwemmung' usually fits. 'Sintflut' is more suitable for very heavy rain or when you want to make the amount seem especially huge.
Draußen regnete es wie bei einer Sintflut, und niemand wollte das Haus verlassen.
Outside, it was raining like a deluge, and nobody wanted to leave the house.
Nach dem Dammbruch erreichte die Flut auch die kleinen Häuser am Fluss.
After the dam broke, the flood also reached the small houses by the river.