German word

Schlager

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃlaːgɐ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhit song

Example

Der Erfolg des Schlagers überrascht alle.

The success of the hit song surprised everyone.

Illustration for Schlager (hit song)

More examples

Der Schlager des Sommers wurde überall gespielt.

The hit song of the summer was played everywhere.

Core concept

A catchy song with a simple shape that many people recognize after hearing it.

Common phrases

  • ein erfolgreicher Schlager

    a successful hit song

  • der Schlager des Sommers

    the hit song of the summer

  • im Radio Schlager hören

    listen to hit songs on the radio

Similar words

Hit: A highly successful song that gains broad popularity through sales or repeated play.
Popmusik: A broad contemporary music genre created for the general public.
Tanzmusik: Music designed for dancing, with a strong rhythm suited to social settings.

Definition in German

Ein populäres, oft einfach strukturiertes Lied, das in der Gesellschaft große Bekanntheit und hohen Wiedererkennungswert erreicht.

Word origin

Schlager comes from schlagen, "to strike," and developed the figurative sense of something that makes a strong impact before referring to a successful song.

Usage tips

  • Schlager is masculine, and its plural is also Schlager, so der Schlager and die Schlager differ by article rather than noun ending.

Other meanings

  • popular songnoun

Opposites

  • Kunstmusikart musicnoun
  • Nischenmusikniche musicnoun

Related words

  • Schlagermusikpopular musicnoun
  • SchlagerstarSchlager starnoun

Word lists with this word