das  Schlusslicht

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃlʊslɪçt/

💡 What exactly is a Schlusslicht?

The word das Schlusslicht has two main meanings:

1. The tail light of a vehicle: This is the literal meaning. It refers to the red lights at the rear (Heck) of a car (Auto), bicycle (Fahrrad), train (Zug), etc., which serve to make the vehicle visible to following traffic, especially in darkness or poor visibility. 🚗💨

2. The last position / The last one: This is a figurative meaning. It denotes the person or thing that is in last place in a sequence, competition, or ranking. 꼴찌 🏃‍♀️꼴찌

Since it only has the article das, there is no risk of confusion regarding the grammatical gender.

🧐 Grammar in Detail: das Schlusslicht

Das Schlusslicht is a neuter noun.

Example Sentences

• Literal meaning (tail light): "Bitte überprüfe, ob dein Schlusslicht am Fahrrad funktioniert." (Please check if your tail light on the bike is working.)
• Literal meaning (tail light): "Eines der Schlusslichter des Autos war kaputt." (One of the car's tail lights was broken.)
• Figurative meaning (last one): "Leider war unsere Mannschaft dieses Jahr das Schlusslicht der Tabelle." (Unfortunately, our team was at the bottom of the table this year / last place.)
• Figurative meaning (last one): "Er wollte nicht schon wieder das Schlusslicht beim Wettrennen sein." (He didn't want to be the last one in the race again.)

🚦 When to use Schlusslicht?

Context: Tail Light

• In road traffic (im Straßenverkehr), the term "Schlusslicht" is commonly used for the rear lights of vehicles.
• Alternative terms are "Rücklicht" or "Heckleuchte".

Context: Last Place

• This figurative meaning is often used in sports (im Sport), competitions (bei Wettbewerben), elections (bei Wahlen), or general rankings (in Ranglisten).
• It often carries a slightly negative or regretful connotation.
• You can say "das Schlusslicht sein" (to be the last one), "das Schlusslicht bilden" (to form the rear/last place), or "das Schlusslicht tragen" (to carry the tail light, i.e., be last).
• A synonym here would be "der Letzte" (the last one) or "der Nachzügler" (the straggler).

⚠️ Pay attention to the context (Achte auf den Kontext) to understand the correct meaning.

🧠 How to Remember 'das Schlusslicht'

For the article (das): Think of das Licht (the light). Many words ending in "-licht" are neuter (das Licht, das Kerzenlicht, das Tageslicht). Therefore, also: das Schlusslicht.

For the meanings: Imagine a race. The car at the very back (am Schluss) has a shining light (Licht) – it's the Schlusslicht in a double sense: the last vehicle and the tail light.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar words:

• Schlussverkauf: Has nothing to do with light; it means a sale at the end of a season (clearance sale).
• Schlusswort: The final word in a speech or discussion.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum fährt der Mathematiker immer mit kaputtem Schlusslicht?

Weil er Probleme lieber von vorne löst! 😉

(Why does the mathematician always drive with a broken tail light? Because he prefers to solve problems from the front!)

✍️ Poem about the Schlusslicht

Am Ende der Kolonne, ganz allein,
leuchtet rot ein kleiner Schein.
Ob Auto, Rad, ob langer Zug,
es zeigt: "Hier ist noch nicht genug!"

Im Rennen auch, wer hinten fährt,
dem wird die Ehr' nicht ganz verwehrt,
das Schlusslicht zu sein, ist keine Schand',
man ist noch Teil vom ganzen Band.

(At the end of the line, all alone,
shines red a little glow.
Be it car, bike, or long train,
it shows: "There's more to come again!"

In races too, whoever drives behind,
isn't completely denied honor, you'll find.
To be the tail light is no disgrace,
you're still part of the whole pace.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich leuchte rot, doch bin kein Stoppschild klar,
Man findet mich am Heck, ganz wunderbar.
Im Rennen bin ich oft der letzte Mann.
Sag schnell, wer oder was ich sein kann?

(I shine red, but I'm clearly not a stop sign,
You find me at the rear, quite divine.
In a race, I'm often the very last man.
Tell me quickly, who or what I am?)

Solution: das Schlusslicht

🧩 Additional Information

Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):

The word "Schlusslicht" is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:

• der Schluss: the end, the conclusion
• das Licht: the light, the brightness

So it literally means "end light" or "light at the conclusion".

Trivia: In cycling (im Radsport), the person in last place in the general classification is sometimes symbolically awarded the "Rote Laterne" (red lantern), which has a similar meaning to "being the Schlusslicht".