der  Trab

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/tʁap/

🐎 What does 'der Trab' mean?

Der Trab is a gait of horses and other quadrupeds. It's a medium-speed gait where diagonally opposite legs move forward simultaneously (e.g., left foreleg and right hind leg). Der Trab is faster than der Schritt (walk) but slower than der Galopp (gallop/canter).

The word is masculine, so it's always der Trab.

There's also the idiom jemanden auf Trab bringen/halten, which means to keep someone busy or on their toes.

🧐 Grammar of 'der Trab' in Detail

The noun 'Trab' is masculine. The plural ('die Trabe') is very rare and mostly used in specialized or poetic contexts. Generally, the word is used in the singular.

Declension (Singular)

Note: The genitive and dative forms with '-e' (Trabes, Trabe) are less common and often represent more formal or older usage.

Example Sentences

• Das Pferd wechselte vom Schritt in einen leichten Trab. (The horse changed from a walk to a light trot.)
• Im Trab legten wir die letzte Meile zurück. (We covered the last mile at a trot.)
• Der Reiter beherrschte den versammelten Trab perfekt. (The rider mastered the collected trot perfectly.)
• Die neuen Aufgaben halten mich ganz schön auf Trab. (The new tasks are really keeping me on my toes/busy.)

🏇 How to Use 'Trab'

• Equestrian Sports & Riding: The most common use refers to the horse's gait. You talk about leichter Trab (rising trot), Arbeitstrab (working trot), Mitteltrab (medium trot), starker Trab (extended trot), or versammelter Trab (collected trot).
• Describing Movement: Sometimes used metaphorically to describe hurried but not running movement, often slightly humorously. Example: Er kam im Trab die Treppe herunter. (He came down the stairs at a trot.)
• Idioms: The phrase 'jemanden/etwas auf Trab bringen/halten' is very common and means 'to get someone/something going' or 'to keep someone busy/on the go'. Example: Der neue Chef hat die Abteilung ordentlich auf Trab gebracht. (The new boss really got the department moving.)

🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Trab'

Article Mnemonic: Think of der Rider who rides at a Trot (Trab). The 'r' sounds link 'der' and 'Trab'.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a horse rhythmically trotting – Tra-b, Tra-b – a two-beat rhythm, like the diagonal pairs of legs. Sounds a bit like 'trot'.

↔️ Opposites and Similar Words: Der Trab

Words that might cause confusion

• Trabant: A satellite or celestial body orbiting another (sounds similar but is unrelated).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat das Pferd beim Trabrennen schlechte Laune?

Weil es ständig auf Trab gehalten wird! 😄

(Why is the horse in a bad mood at the trotting race? Because it's constantly being kept on the trot/busy!)

📜 Poem about the Trot

Im Rhythmus gleich, Huf auf Huf,
Diagonal der Beine Ruf.
Nicht Schritt, nicht Galopp, nein, dazwischen,
So sieht man Pferde oft erfrischen.
Der Trab, so heißt die flotte Fahrt,
Elegant und doch von starker Art.

(In steady rhythm, hoof on hoof,
Diagonal legs give their proof.
Not walk, not gallop, no, between,
A refreshing sight horses convene.
The Trot, that's the name of the swift ride,
Elegant and yet with strength inside.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin 'ne Gangart, mittelschnell,
Diagonal beweg' ich mich zur Stell'.
Schneller als Schritt, doch nicht Galopp,
Bring dich und Pferde oft nonstop.
Mit 'der' steh ich meistens da,
Wie nennt das Pferd mich? Ja, na klar!

(I am a gait, medium fast,
Diagonally I move, built to last.
Faster than walk, but not gallop's race,
I keep you and horses moving apace.
With 'der' I usually stand near,
What does the horse call me? Yes, it's clear!)

Solution: der Trab (the trot)

💡 More Tidbits

• Etymology: The word 'Trab' comes from Middle High German 'trab' and is likely onomatopoeic or related to 'treten' (to step/tread) or 'trappeln' (to patter/scamper).
• Traber: There is a breed of horse specifically bred for harness racing at a trot, called a 'Traber' (trotter). These horses can reach high speeds at a trot.
• Variations: In equestrianism, different types of trot are distinguished based on collection and tempo (e.g., Arbeitstrab - working trot, Mitteltrab - medium trot, starker Trab - extended trot).