German word

Elfmeter

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛlfˈmeːtɐ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpenalty kick

Example

Er hat den Elfmeter in der letzten Minute verwandelt.

He converted the penalty kick in the final minute.

Illustration for Elfmeter (penalty kick)

More examples

Sie verschoss den Elfmeter in der entscheidenden Runde.

She missed the penalty kick in the decisive round.

Core concept

A foul turns a football attack into a one-player duel between the kicker and the goalkeeper.

Common phrases

  • einen Elfmeter verschießen

    miss a penalty kick

  • einen Elfmeter antreten

    take a penalty kick

  • einen Elfmeter verwandeln

    convert a penalty kick

Similar words

Elfer: An informal name for a football penalty kick.
Strafstoß: The official term for a direct kick from 11 metres awarded for a foul.
Penalty: A borrowed term sometimes used to refer to a football penalty kick.

Definition in German

Ein Elfmeter ist ein Strafstoß im Fußball, bei dem vom Elfmeterpunkt aus direkt auf das Tor geschossen wird.

Word origin

The German compound Elfmeter combines elf, 'eleven', with Meter, 'metre', because the mark lies eleven metres from the goal.

Usage tips

  • The colloquial form Elfer is common, while verwandeln means to score from the kick and verschießen means to miss it.

Related words

  • Elfmeterschützepenalty takernoun
  • Elfmeterpunktpenalty spotnoun

Word lists with this word