der  Schub

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʃʊp/

📚 What does "der Schub" mean?

The word der Schub (noun, masculine) has several meanings:

• Physics/Technology: A strong push or propulsive force moving something forward. Think of the Schub (thrust) of a rocket 🚀 or an airplane engine.
• Medicine/Psychology: A sudden, often recurrent worsening of an illness or condition (e.g., a Fieberschub - bout of fever, a Krankheitsschub - relapse/attack in multiple sclerosis) or a sudden increase (e.g., a Wachstumsschub 🌱 - growth spurt).
• General/Business: A certain quantity or group of things processed or delivered at once; a batch or load (e.g., ein Schub neuer Aufträge 📦 - a batch of new orders).

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning.

🧐 Grammar of "der Schub" in Detail

der Schub is a masculine noun. Its gender is always masculine.

Example Sentences

1. (Technik) Der Schub des Triebwerks presste die Piloten in die Sitze.
   (The engine's thrust pressed the pilots into their seats.)
2. (Medizin) Sie erlitt einen heftigen Fieberschub.
   (She suffered a severe bout of fever.)
3. (Medizin/Entwicklung) Das Kind machte einen deutlichen Wachstumsschub.
   (The child had a significant growth spurt.)
4. (Allgemein) Ein neuer Schub von Bewerbungen ging heute ein.
   (A new batch of applications arrived today.)

💡 How "Schub" is Used

Context is key:

• In a technical context, you talk about the Schub of engines, rockets, jets, etc. (e.g., maximaler Schub - maximum thrust).
• In a medical context, Schub often describes an acute phase of a chronic illness (MS-Schub - MS relapse/attack) or a sudden development (Entwicklungsschub - developmental spurt).
• In general language and business, Schub refers to a group or quantity moved or considered together (ein Schub Papiere - a batch/stack of papers, ein Schub neuer Mitarbeiter - a batch of new employees).

Distinction from similar words:

• Stoß (push, jolt): Similar, but often shorter and more abrupt than Schub.
• Antrieb (drive, propulsion): Refers more to the source of the power, while Schub is the force itself.
• Phase/Welle (phase/wave): Can be used similarly to Schub (in the sense of a period), but Schub often emphasizes suddenness or intensity.
• Ladung/Partie (load/batch): Similar to Schub (in the sense of quantity), but Schub often implies movement or a process.

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Schub"

Article Mnemonic: Think of der Stoß (the push) or der Antrieb (the drive) – these are often masculine concepts of force, just like der Schub.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine giving something a strong shove (sounds like Schub) to move it (thrust/push). Picture an illness giving you a shove (bout/attack). Imagine shoving a whole Schub (batch) of files onto the desk.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar, but different words:

• die Schuppe: (the scale - like on fish or skin). Don't confuse them!
• der Schuppen: (the shed).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Physiker Liebeskummer? Weil seine Beziehung einfach keinen Schub mehr hatte!

(Why was the physicist lovesick? Because his relationship just had no more thrust!) 😉

📜 Poem about the Word

Ein Ruck, ein Stoß, ein starker Klang,
der Schub, der alles vorwärts zwang.
Mal ist's die Rakete, schnell und licht,
mal Krankheit, die das Wohl zerbricht.
Ein Schub an Arbeit, viel zu tun,
Das Wort lässt uns selten ruhn.

(A jolt, a push, a powerful sound,
The thrust/bout/batch, that forced everything onward bound.
Sometimes it's the rocket, fast and bright,
Sometimes illness, breaking well-being's light.
A batch of work, much to do,
The word rarely lets us rest anew.)

🕵️ Riddle Time

Ich bringe Raketen hoch hinaus,
Ich komme bei Krankheit plötzlich raus.
Ich bringe Dinge in großer Zahl,
Mal bin ich Segen, mal 'ne Qual.

Was bin ich?

(I launch rockets high above,
I suddenly appear when illness shows no love.
I bring things in large amounts,
Sometimes a blessing, sometimes pain surmounts.

What am I?)

Solution: der Schub

🧩 Other Information

Word Origin: The word Schub derives from the verb schieben (to push, shove), reflecting the core meaning of pushing or moving.

Compound Words (Examples):

• Wachstumsschub: (Growth spurt) - Sudden, rapid growth (often in children/adolescents).
• Entwicklungsschub: (Developmental spurt) - Rapid leap in development (physical or mental).
• Krankheitsschub: (Relapse, bout, flare-up) - Acute phase of a chronic illness.
• Raketenschub: (Rocket thrust) - The propulsive force of a rocket.
• Modernisierungsschub: (Modernization push/boost) - A period of intensive modernization.