duel / one-on-one
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duel / one-on-one
A fight, confrontation, or sporting contest between exactly two people.
Der Stürmer gewann den entscheidenden Zweikampf gegen den Verteidiger und schoss das Tor.
The striker won the decisive one-on-one against the defender and scored the goal.
The word is built very logically: it consists of 'zwei' (two) and 'der Kampf' (the fight). So it literally describes a fight between two people or parties.
Im Finale des Turniers kam es zum Zweikampf der beiden besten Spieler.
In the tournament final, there was a duel between the two best players.
In a sports context, especially in football/soccer, 'Zweikampf' (duel/one-on-one) is often used with certain verbs. You can 'gewinnen' (win), 'verlieren' (lose), 'suchen' (seek), 'annehmen' (accept), or 'in einen Zweikampf gehen' (go into a one-on-one).
Der Verteidiger ging aggressiv in den Zweikampf und eroberte den Ball.
The defender went aggressively into the one-on-one and won the ball.
In a figurative sense, the word is often used for political or economic competition. People then speak, for example, of a 'politischen Zweikampf' (political head-to-head contest) or a 'Zweikampf um die Wählerstimmen' (head-to-head contest for voters' support).
Die Debatte wurde zu einem Zweikampf zwischen den Spitzenkandidaten.
The debate turned into a head-to-head contest between the leading candidates.
fight / struggle
'der Kampf' and 'der Zweikampf' both describe a confrontation or a contest. The most important difference is the number of participants: a 'Zweikampf' takes place exactly between two people or two sides. 'Kampf' is more general and can also involve several people, groups, or a major goal. The words can be confused because a Zweikampf is always a type of Kampf. But if you want to emphasize that there are only two opponents, 'Zweikampf' is more precise.
Im Zweikampf gegen den Verteidiger blieb der Stürmer ruhig und schoss ein Tor.
In the one-on-one against the defender, the striker stayed calm and scored a goal.
Nach der Pause begann der Kampf um den Ball sofort wieder.
After the break, the fight for the ball began again immediately.