Schicksal

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German

Alternative forms

Etymology

17th century, from schicken +‎ -sal, after now archaic Dutch schiksel (16th c.).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃɪk.zaːl/, /-zal/, /-saːl/, /-sal/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

Schicksal n (strong, genitive Schicksals or Schicksales, plural Schicksale or (chiefly informal) Schicksäler)

  1. (uncountable) destiny, fate (irresistible power that predetermines events)
  2. (countable) someone's destiny, fate
  3. (countable) life story; the general conditions and main developments of a person's life; more often than in English used without any notion of predetermination
    Synonyms: Lebensweg, Lebensschicksal
    Das Buch beschreibt die Schicksale von zehn Frauen aus verschiedenen Gesellschaftsschichten im frühen 20. Jahrhundert.
    The book portrays the life stories of ten women from different social classes in the early 20th century.

Usage notes

  • The normal plural is Schicksale. The form Schicksäler is more informal and sometimes slightly deprecative, e.g. expressing the notion that people exaggerate the bitterness of their fates. However, it is also attestable as an entirely neutral variant.

Declension

Declension of Schicksal
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Schicksal die Schicksale, Schicksäler2
genitive eines des Schicksals, Schicksales der Schicksale, Schicksäler2
dative einem dem Schicksal, Schicksale1 den Schicksalen, Schicksälern2
accusative ein das Schicksal die Schicksale, Schicksäler2

1Now rare, see notes.
2Chiefly informal.

Derived terms

Further reading

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