die Hürde, -n
hurdle
Ein kleines Hindernis, über das man gehen oder springen muss. Es kann auch etwas sein, das es schwer macht, ein Ziel zu erreichen.
Definition & meaning
The noun Hürde generally refers to a physical barrier that must be jumped over or overcome.
- Physical Obstacle: In sports, it refers to the barriers placed on a running track that athletes must jump over (e.g., in a hurdle race).
- Figurative Obstacle: In a metaphorical sense, it refers to a difficulty, a requirement, or a hurdle that must be overcome to reach a goal (e.g., bureaucracy, age limits, or financial requirements).
- Historical/Agricultural sense: Historically, it refers to a movable fence or pen made of intertwined branches, used to contain livestock (like sheep).
Grammar & Word origin
- Grammar: The word is a feminine noun (die Hürde). It follows the weak declension for the plural, adding an "n" (die Hürden).
- Word origin: The word comes from Middle High German hurde and Old High German hurta. It is etymologically related to the word "huddle" or the archaic English "hurdle," sharing roots with words describing woven or interlaced materials (like wickerwork used for fences).
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Make “Hürde” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
Sie hat eine hohe Hürde zu überwinden.noun
She has a high hurdle to overcome.
Die Hürde erschwert das Rennen.noun
The hurdle makes the race more difficult.
Über die Hürde zu springen erfordert viel Übung.noun
To jump over the hurdle requires a lot of practice.
Die Hürde scheint hoch zu sein.noun
The hurdle seems to be high.
Trotz mehrerer Hürden gab er niemals auf.noun
Despite several hurdles, he never gave up.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad