German word

prallen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpralən/

Meaning

  • verbcrash into

Example

Das Auto prallte gegen den Baum.

The car crashed into the tree.

Illustration for prallen (crash into)

More examples

Der Ball prallte an die Decke.

The ball crashed into the ceiling.

Core concept

Something in motion strikes a solid barrier, loses its path, and may rebound in another direction.

Common phrases

  • prallen gegen

    crash into

  • prallen aufeinander

    collide with each other

  • von der Wand prallen

    bounce off the wall

Similar words

stoßen: Drive or press into someone or something, causing a forceful collision.
anstoßen: Bump lightly against something and create a slight shock or sound.
aufprallen: Strike a surface forcefully and bounce off with a major change in movement.
zusammenstoßen: Crash into one another and create a strong impact.

Definition in German

an eine Fläche stoßen und dabei abprallen; meist ungewollte Bewegung beschreibend

Word origin

The verb prallen is documented in Middle High German and probably arose from a sound word for a forceful collision.

Usage tips

  • The separable verb abprallen explicitly describes bouncing off, while prallen can focus on the unintended collision itself.

Opposites

Related words

  • Aufprallimpactnoun
  • abprallenbounce backverb

Word lists with this word