noun

die Schwalbe, -n

swallow

Definition & meaning

Schwalbe has two common meanings:

A swallow, the small, fast-flying bird with long, pointed wings and a forked tail.
Example: Im Frühling kehren die Schwalben zurück. — “The swallows return in spring.”
In football (soccer), a dive: a player deliberately falls or exaggerates contact to make it seem as though an opponent fouled them. The word is often used critically.
Example: Der Schiedsrichter erkannte die Schwalbe. — “The referee spotted the dive.”

Grammar & Word origin

Schwalbe is a feminine noun: die Schwalbe. Its plural is die Schwalben.

The bird name is an old Germanic word. The football sense is a figurative use of the same noun; the sudden, dramatic fall is likened to a bird’s movement.

Synonyms & antonyms

For the bird, there is no exact everyday synonym.

For the football sense, Simulation and Schwalbe refer to pretending or exaggerating a foul. Simulation is the more formal, general term; Schwalbe is especially common in football. Täuschung means deception more broadly.

There is no exact antonym. faires Spiel (“fair play”) is a contrasting idea, rather than a direct opposite.