das  Schicksal

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃɪksal/

📜 What does "das Schicksal" mean?

Das Schicksal (noun, neuter) refers to a higher power or an inevitable course of events that determines a person's life or the outcome of events. It can be perceived as both positive and negative and often implies that certain occurrences are predetermined and cannot be influenced by human actions.

There is essentially one main meaning for das Schicksal:

• Fate, destiny, lot: The entirety of events and circumstances that shape an individual's life and are considered predetermined by a higher power or natural law.

⚠️ Attention: Although it feels abstract, in German "Schicksal" is a countable noun and has a (rarely used) plural form "die Schicksale", which usually refers to the life paths of different people.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "das Schicksal" in Detail

"Schicksal" is a noun of the neuter gender (Neutrum).

Note: The Genitive and Dative singular forms ending in "-e" (Schicksales, Schicksale) are rather archaic or elevated.

Example Sentences

1. Man kann seinem Schicksal nicht entkommen.
   (One cannot escape one's fate.)
2. Er beklagte sein hartes Schicksal.
   (He lamented his hard fate/lot.)
3. Es war wohl Schicksal, dass wir uns getroffen haben.
   (It was probably destiny that we met.)
4. Die Schicksale der Flüchtlinge bewegten viele Menschen.
   (The fates/destinies of the refugees moved many people.)
5. Sie nahm ihr Schicksal selbst in die Hand.
   (She took her fate/destiny into her own hands.)

🗣️ How to use "Schicksal"?

"Schicksal" is often used in contexts describing life paths, significant events, or turning points. It frequently carries a slightly passive or fatalistic connotation, but can also be used neutrally or even positively.

• Typical Collocations:
  • sein Schicksal annehmen/akzeptieren: To accept the inevitable.
  • dem Schicksal trotzen: To defy adverse circumstances.
  • das Schicksal herausfordern: To tempt fate / take risks.
  • vom Schicksal getroffen/begünstigt sein: To be struck by misfortune / favored by fortune.
  • ein schweres Schicksal: A hard lot / a difficult fate.
  • das Schicksal entscheiden lassen: To let fate decide / let things run their course.
• Distinction from similar terms:
  • Zufall (chance, coincidence): Refers to an unforeseen, unplanned event without a discernible cause or intention. Schicksal often implies a higher order or predetermination.
  • Bestimmung (destiny, calling): Similar to Schicksal, but often with a more positive or purposeful connotation (e.g., "seine Bestimmung finden" - to find one's calling/destiny).
  • Los (lot, fate): Often synonymous with Schicksal, but sometimes focusing more on the specific outcome or share one receives (e.g., "ein schweres Los tragen" - to bear a heavy burden/lot).

🧠 Mnemonics for "das Schicksal"

For the article "das": Think of other neuter concepts like "das Leben" (the life), "das Glück" (the luck), "das Ereignis" (the event). Das Schicksal fits this pattern of abstract, life-related concepts often being neuter.

For the meaning: Imagine something being "shicked" (sent) to you by the universe – that's your Schicksal. It's what life 'sends' your way, whether good or bad.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar but Misleading Words

• Das Geschick: Can mean "fate" (elevated usage), but more commonly means "skill" or "dexterity" (e.g., handwerkliches Geschick - craftsmanship).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Fatalist keinen Regenschirm dabei?

Weil er denkt: "Wenn es regnen soll, ist es eh mein Schicksal, nass zu werden!" 😄

(Why doesn't the fatalist carry an umbrella? Because he thinks: "If it's meant to rain, it's my fate to get wet anyway!")

✒️ Poem about Fate

Ein Faden, unsichtbar gesponnen,
Mal dunkel, mal von Licht durchsonnen.
Das Schicksal lenkt, wohin wir gehen,
Lässt hoffen uns und manchmal flehen.

Manch einer kämpft, will selbst entscheiden,
Will Wendungen des Wegs vermeiden.
Doch oft geschieht's, man kann's nicht fassen,
Wir müssen uns drauf einlassen.

(A thread, invisibly spun,
Sometimes dark, sometimes sun-run.
Fate guides where we must go,
Lets us hope and sometimes plead so.)

(Some fight, want to decide themselves,
Want to avoid the path's sharp shelves.
But often it happens, beyond our grasp,
We must simply let go the clasp.)

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich habe keinen Mund, doch spreche Bände über Leben.
Ich habe keine Hand, doch kann ich nehmen und auch geben.
Manche fürchten mich, manche suchen mich im Plan,
Manche sagen, ich sei längst vorherbestimmt. Was bin ich dann?

(I have no mouth, yet speak volumes about life.
I have no hand, yet I can take and also give.
Some fear me, some seek me in their plan,
Some say I was predetermined long ago. What am I then?)

Solution: Das Schicksal (Fate)

💡 More on the Word

Word Composition/Etymology:

The word "Schicksal" derives from the Middle High German verb "schicken", which originally meant "to arrange, decree, make happen". So, it is that which is "sent" or "assigned" to someone. The ending "-sal" is an old suffix used to form nouns (compare Mühsal - hardship, Trübsal - affliction).

Cultural Significance:

The concept of fate (Schicksal) plays a central role in many cultures, religions, and philosophies, from the Moirai (Fates) of Greek mythology to modern debates about determinism and free will.