traffic accident
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traffic accident
An accident in road traffic involving at least one vehicle and resulting in property damage or personal injury.
Auf der Autobahn gab es einen Verkehrsunfall, der einen langen Stau verursachte.
There was a traffic accident on the highway that caused a long traffic jam.
This word is made up of three parts: 'Verkehr' (traffic) + '-s-' + 'Unfall' (accident). The '-s-' is a linking sound that connects the words. So it literally means an accident that happens in traffic.
Die Polizei untersucht die Ursache des Verkehrsunfalls.
The police are investigating the cause of the traffic accident.
Common verbs used with this noun are 'einen Verkehrsunfall haben' (to have a traffic accident), 'einen Verkehrsunfall verursachen' (to cause a traffic accident), or 'in einen Verkehrsunfall verwickelt sein' (to be involved in a traffic accident).
Leider war mein Nachbar in einen schweren Verkehrsunfall verwickelt.
Unfortunately, my neighbor was involved in a serious traffic accident.
To describe the severity of the accident, the adjectives 'schwer' (serious), 'leicht' (minor), or 'tödlich' (fatal) are often used.
Zum Glück war es nur ein leichter Verkehrsunfall mit Blechschaden.
Fortunately, it was only a minor traffic accident with damage to the vehicles.
accident
'Unfall' and 'Verkehrsunfall' both describe a sudden event involving damage or injury. 'Unfall' is more general: it can happen at home, at work, during sports, or in traffic. 'Verkehrsunfall' is more specific and refers only to an accident in road traffic, for example involving a car, bicycle, bus, or truck. Learners may confuse the words because every traffic accident is also an accident. But not every accident is a traffic accident. If the place or situation in traffic is important, 'Verkehrsunfall' is more precise.
Nach dem Verkehrsunfall blieb die Straße eine Stunde lang gesperrt.
After the traffic accident, the road remained closed for an hour.
Beim Kochen hatte Mehmet einen Unfall und verbrannte sich die Hand.
Mehmet had an accident while cooking and burned his hand.