die  Rekordjagd

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʁɛˈkɔʁtˌjaːkt/

🎯 What Exactly is a 'Rekordjagd'?

The German noun Rekordjagd (feminine, article: die) describes the intense pursuit or attempt to break an existing record or set a new personal best. It refers to the focused application of effort and resources to surpass a previously unattained mark, usually in sports, but also in other competitive fields.

There is only this one article and this one meaning for this word. ⚠️ Confusion is unlikely.

🧐 Grammar in Detail: die Rekordjagd

The noun 'Rekordjagd' is feminine. Here are the declension tables:

Example Sentences

• Die Athletin befand sich auf einer spannenden Rekordjagd über 100 Meter. (The athlete was on an exciting record hunt over 100 meters.)
• Die Medien berichteten ausführlich über die Rekordjagd des Bergsteigers. (The media reported extensively on the mountaineer's record hunt.)
• Nach wochenlangem Training begann endlich die Rekordjagd im Schwimmbecken. (After weeks of training, the record hunt in the swimming pool finally began.)

🏃‍♀️ When to Use 'Rekordjagd'?

The term Rekordjagd is primarily used in the context of sports and competition when someone is actively trying to surpass a best performance. It implies ambition, effort, and often excitement.

• Sports: Athletics, swimming, motorsports, mountaineering, etc.
• Competitions: Also for Guinness World Record attempts or similar challenges.
• Figuratively: Less commonly used figuratively, e.g., a 'Rekordjagd' for sales figures in a company, but this often sounds a bit exaggerated or sensational.

It's used to describe the process or phase of the attempt, not the achieved record itself (that would be 'der Rekord').

💡 Mnemonics for Rekordjagd

Article Mnemonic: In German, 'die Jagd' (the hunt) is feminine. Since Rekordjagd ends in '-jagd', it's also feminine: die Rekordjagd. Think of 'the hunt' for the record.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a 'hunter' (Jäger) aiming not at animals, but at a time or number (the 'Rekord'). This 'hunt' for the top mark is the Rekordjagd (record hunt/chase).

🔄 Similar & Opposite: Synonyms and Antonyms

😄 A Little Joke

Warum gehen Schnecken nie auf Rekordjagd?
Weil sie Angst haben, sich zu überholen!

(Why do snails never go on a record hunt?
Because they're afraid of overtaking themselves!)

📜 Poem about the Rekordjagd

Die Stoppuhr tickt, der Schweiß, er rinnt,
Ein Ziel vor Augen, das geschwind.
Die Muskeln brennen, Herz pocht schnell,
Auf Rekordjagd, hell und grell.
Die alte Marke muss nun fallen,
Ein neuer Ruhm soll widerhallen.

(The stopwatch ticks, the sweat, it flows,
A goal in sight, that quickly goes.
The muscles burn, heart beats fast,
On a record hunt, bright and vast.
The old mark now must surely fall,
A new renown shall echo for all.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin ein Streben, oft im Sport,
treib' Athleten fort und fort.
Nach Zahlen, Zeiten, Höchstgenuss,
bis die alte Bestmarke weichen muss.

Was bin ich? Lösung: die Rekordjagd

(I am a striving, often in sport,
driving athletes forth and fort'.
For numbers, times, the highest pleasure,
until the old best mark must lose its measure.

What am I?
Answer: the Rekordjagd / record hunt)

🧩 Word Components & Trivia

The word 'Rekordjagd' is a compound noun, composed of:

• Der Rekord: The record, top performance.
• Die Jagd: The hunt, chase, pursuit.

Together, they form the meaning of the intense pursuit of a top performance.

Trivia: The term is often used sensationally in sports headlines to create excitement, even if the record isn't ultimately broken.