der  Schuss

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʃʊs/

🎯 What exactly does "der Schuss" mean?

The word der Schuss (plural: die Schüsse) is a masculine noun with several meanings, often related to something fast, sudden, or direct:

• Firing a weapon: The most common meaning. The sound or act of firing a gun. Example: Man hörte einen lauten Schuss in der Nacht. (One heard a loud shot in the night.)
• Sports (ball): Kicking or hitting a ball towards a goal (football, handball, hockey, etc.). Example: Der Stürmer gab einen harten Schuss aufs Tor ab. (The striker took a hard shot at the goal.)
• Small amount of liquid: A small, quickly added amount of liquid, often alcohol or cream. Example: Ein Schuss Rum kommt in den Grog. (A dash of rum goes into the grog.) Ein Schuss Milch in den Kaffee. (A dash of milk in the coffee.)
• Quick movement / idea (coll.): A sudden movement or a sudden idea/guess. Example: Er kam mit einem Schuss um die Ecke. (He came around the corner in a dash.) Das war ein Schuss ins Blaue (a guess/shot in the dark).
• Injection (coll.): Colloquially for an injection, often in the context of drugs, but also medically. Example: Er brauchte seinen täglichen Schuss. (He needed his daily fix/shot.) Der Arzt gab ihm einen Schuss gegen die Schmerzen. (The doctor gave him a shot for the pain.)
• Damage / Crack (coll.): A crack or chip, e.g., in glass or ceramics. Example: Die Windschutzscheibe hat einen Schuss bekommen. (The windshield got a crack/chip.)
• Being crazy (coll.): In the phrase "einen Schuss haben", it means to be nuts or crazy. Example: Der hat doch einen Schuss! (He must be crazy!)

🚨 Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning!

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar of "der Schuss" in Detail

"Schuss" is a masculine noun. The article is der.

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der laute Schuss erschreckte die Vögel. (The loud shot scared the birds. - Nominative Singular, Meaning: weapon)
2. Die Wucht des Schusses war enorm. (The force of the shot was enormous. - Genitive Singular, Meaning: weapon/sport)
3. Er gab dem Kaffee einen Schuss Sahne hinzu. (He added a dash of cream to the coffee. - Dative Singular, indirect object; Accusative Singular, direct object, Meaning: liquid)
4. Siehst du den Schuss in der Tasse? (Do you see the crack in the cup? - Accusative Singular, Meaning: crack)
5. Die Schüsse fielen im Morgengrauen. (The shots were fired at dawn. - Nominative Plural, Meaning: weapon)
6. Die Analyse der Schüsse aufs Tor zeigte die Schwächen der Abwehr. (The analysis of the shots on goal showed the defense's weaknesses. - Genitive Plural, Meaning: sport)

💡 How to use "der Schuss"?

The usage of "der Schuss" heavily depends on the context:

• Weapons/Military/Police: Refers to the fired shot. Often found in news or crime stories. (e.g., Schusswechsel - shootout, Warnschuss - warning shot, Schussverletzung - gunshot wound)
• Sports: Relates to ball games, usually scoring attempts. (e.g., Torschuss - shot on goal, Fernschuss - long-distance shot, Elfmeterschuss - penalty kick)
• Kitchen/Bar: A small amount of an ingredient, usually liquid. (e.g., ein Schuss Zitrone - a dash of lemon, ein Schuss Wodka - a shot/dash of vodka)
• Colloquial/Idiomatic: Many figurative meanings and idioms exist:
• Ein Schuss ins Blaue: A shot in the dark, a wild guess.
• Ein Schuss vor den Bug: A warning shot, a formal warning.
• Ein Schuss in den Ofen: A failure, a wasted effort (lit. 'a shot into the oven').
• Gut in Schuss sein: To be in good shape (person or thing).
• Einen Schuss haben: To be crazy, nuts (lit. 'to have a shot').
• Der Schuss ging nach hinten los: It backfired, had unintended negative consequences.
• Medicine/Drugs: Rather colloquially for an injection/shot.

⚠️ Don't confuse "der Schuss" (the act of shooting, the shot sound, a dash) with "das Geschoss" (the projectile, bullet) or the verb "schießen" (to shoot).

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Schuss"

Remembering the Article

Imagine a hunter (masculine!) who fires der Schuss (the shot). The hunter needs der Schuss. 'Der' often goes with things that are sharp, forceful, or make a bang, like der Schuss.

Remembering the Meanings

Think of the sound or impact: A weapon's Schuss makes a BANG, a soccer ball BANGS into the goal (Torschuss), a Schuss of cream 'splashes' into the coffee, an idea BANGS into your head, someone might be 'off their rocker' (hat einen Schuss). It's always something sudden, direct, or impactful. Like a 'shot'.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

🚨 Potential Confusion

• Das Geschoss: The projectile that is fired (the bullet). "Der Schuss" is the act or sound.
• Der Spross: A sprout (of a plant) or offspring. Sounds slightly similar but means something completely different.
• Der Schluss: The end, the conclusion.

😂 A Little Joke

DE: Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Warum haben Sie mit dem Gewehr auf den Hasen geschossen?" Antwortet der Angeklagte: "Er hat so komisch geguckt!" Richter: "Und warum haben Sie dann gleich drei Schüsse abgegeben?" Angeklagter: "Nach dem zweiten Schuss hat er immer noch so komisch geguckt!"

EN: The judge asks the defendant: "Why did you shoot the rabbit with the rifle?" The defendant answers: "He looked at me funny!" Judge: "And why did you fire three shots then?" Defendant: "After the second shot, he still looked at me funny!"

🎤 Poem about "der Schuss"

DE: Ein Knall durchbricht die Stille klar,
Der Schuss, er flog, so wunderbar?
Im Fußballspiel, zum Tor gezielt,
Der Stürmer hat den Ball gespielt.

Ein Schuss voll Milch in den Kaffee rein,
So fängt der Morgen an, ganz fein.
Doch hat dein Nachbar einen Schuss,
Ist's oft kein Spaß, nur Ärger, Frust.

EN Translation: A bang breaks through the silence clear,
The shot, it flew, was it wonderful, dear?
In the football match, aimed at the goal,
The striker played the ball with soul.

A dash of milk in the coffee bright,
That's how the morning starts just right.
But if your neighbour's got a screw loose (hat einen Schuss),
It's often no fun, just anger, abuse.

❓ Riddle Time

DE: Ich kann laut sein oder leise fliegen,
Kann im Tor oder im Kaffee liegen.
Manchmal bin ich nur ein kleiner Spritzer,
Manchmal ein gefährlicher Blitzer.
Man sagt, wer mich hat, ist nicht ganz dicht.
Was bin ich wohl, sag es ins Gesicht?

Lösung: Der Schuss

EN Translation: I can be loud or fly silently near,
Can lie in the goal or in coffee, my dear.
Sometimes I'm just a small splash or spurt,
Sometimes a dangerous flash that can hurt.
They say he who has me is not quite alright.
What am I then, tell me outright?

Solution: Der Schuss (the shot / dash / crack / being crazy)

ℹ️ More Trivia

Word Origin (Etymology)

The word "Schuss" comes from the verb schießen (to shoot). It originally referred to moving quickly, letting fly an arrow or projectile. The various meanings evolved from this basic idea of something fast, direct, or sudden.

Common Idioms

• auf den ersten Schuss: immediately, on the first try
• wie aus der Pistole geschossen: very quickly and precisely (answer)
• einschießen auf (jemanden/etwas): to pick on someone/something, to focus criticism on