German word

Schacht

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃaxt/

Meaning

  • masculine nounshaft

Example

Im alten Bergwerk entdeckten sie mehrere Schächte.

In the old mine, they discovered several shafts.

Illustration for Schacht (shaft)

More examples

Der Zugang zum Schacht ist nur für autorisiertes Personal erlaubt.

Access to the shaft is permitted only for authorized personnel.

Core concept

A straight vertical hollow in earth or masonry provides a route for access, transport, or ventilation.

Common phrases

  • Zugang zum Schacht

    access to the shaft

  • Notausstieg im Schacht

    emergency exit in the shaft

  • Schachtboden

    shaft bottom

Similar words

Fahrstuhlschacht: A vertical enclosed space allowing an elevator to move between floors.
Brunnen: A deep vertical opening for drawing groundwater.
Stollen: A horizontal passage cut through rock, especially in a mine.
Schornstein: A tall vertical structure that carries smoke or exhaust upward.

Definition in German

Schacht bezeichnet einen senkrechten, meist engen Hohlraum in Bauwerken oder im Boden, der als Zugang, Förderweg oder Belüftungskanal dient.

Word origin

Schacht is an inherited Germanic word, recorded as Middle High German schacht and related to English shaft rather than borrowed from it.

Usage tips

  • English shaft for a tool handle usually translates as Schaft, while Schacht denotes a vertical cavity or passage.

Opposites

  • Stollenaditnoun

Related words

  • Schachtöffnungshaft openingnoun
  • Schachtbaushaft constructionnoun

Word lists with this word