drive / shoot
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drive
An innate, inner force or instinct that pushes a living being toward a certain behavior in order to satisfy basic needs.
Der Selbsterhaltungstrieb ist einer der stärksten Triebe des Menschen.
The drive for self-preservation is one of the strongest human drives.
shoot
A young, newly grown part of a plant, such as a sprout or young shoot.
Im Frühling kommen die ersten Triebe aus der Erde.
In spring, the first shoots come out of the ground.
The noun 'der Trieb' is closely related to the verb 'treiben', which means 'to drive' or 'to urge'. So a 'Trieb' is literally something that drives a living being from within or pushes out of the ground.
Neugier ist ein starker Trieb, der uns zum Lernen treibt.
Curiosity is a strong drive that drives us to learn.
You can easily recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about psychology, biology, or human behavior, the inner urge (instinct) is meant. If it is about plants, gardening, or nature, the new plant part is meant.
Der Spieltrieb ist bei jungen Säugetieren stark ausgeprägt.
The play drive is strongly developed in young mammals.
In the meaning of 'Instinkt' (instinct), 'Trieb' is often used with verbs such as 'einem Trieb folgen' (to follow a drive), 'einen Trieb unterdrücken' (to suppress a drive), or 'einen Trieb verspüren' (to feel a drive). Common adjectives are 'sexuell' (sexual), 'natürlich' (natural), or 'zerstörerisch' (destructive).
Er konnte dem Trieb nicht widerstehen, noch ein Stück Schokolade zu essen.
He couldn't resist the drive to eat another piece of chocolate.
desire / pleasure
Here, Lust refers to the sexual desire or pleasure currently being felt. Trieb refers more to the innate inner force that generally drives someone toward a certain behavior. Lust therefore fits a momentary feeling, while Trieb is more suitable for general biological motivation.
Alex spricht über den sexuellen Trieb als grundlegende innere Motivation.
Alex is talking about the sex drive as a basic inner motivation.
Im Moment empfindet Alex starke sexuelle Lust.
Alex is experiencing strong sexual desire at the moment.
