blitzen
To flash lightning
Use `blitzen` when nature strikes with lightning or the police strike with a speeding ticket.
Em 15 segundos
- Literally means lightning flashing in the sky.
- Commonly means getting caught by a speed camera.
- Used to warn others about police traffic traps.
Significado
While it literally means lightning is flashing, Germans use it most often to describe getting caught by a speed camera while driving.
Exemplos-chave
3 de 6Driving with a friend
Vorsicht, hier wird oft geblitzt!
Watch out, they often flash (speed trap) here!
Explaining why you are late
Ich wurde heute Morgen geblitzt und war total genervt.
I got caught by a speed camera this morning and was totally annoyed.
During a summer storm
Siehst du, wie es am Horizont blitzt?
Do you see how the lightning is flashing on the horizon?
Contexto cultural
The 'Blitzer' is a staple of German news and radio, often reported with the same urgency as weather. Germany uses specialized 'mobile Blitzer' hidden in unmarked vans or trailers, making the verb a constant part of the national conversation about driving rights and safety.
The Red Flash
In Germany, speed cameras usually flash a distinct red light, not white. If you see a red flash in your rearview mirror, you've been 'geblitzt'.
App Usage
Using 'Blitzer-Apps' while driving is technically illegal in Germany, though many people still listen to radio reports about them.
Em 15 segundos
- Literally means lightning flashing in the sky.
- Commonly means getting caught by a speed camera.
- Used to warn others about police traffic traps.
What It Means
In a weather context, blitzen describes the sky lighting up during a storm. However, in daily German life, it usually refers to that dreaded red flash from a roadside speed camera. When you say you were geblitzt, you mean the police just took a very expensive photo of your car. It is a sudden, sharp verb that captures the shock of the moment.
How To Use It
You use it as a passive experience most of the time. If you were speeding, you say Ich wurde geblitzt. If you are warning a friend about a specific street, you say Pass auf, dort wird oft geblitzt. It functions just like a regular verb. You can also use it for jewelry that sparkles or a camera flash at a party. But 90% of the time, it is about traffic tickets.
When To Use It
Use it when discussing your commute or travel plans. It is perfect for complaining about a bad day. If you see a bright flash while driving, tell your passenger immediately. It is a common topic at the office coffee machine. Everyone has a story about a hidden camera behind a bush. It is a great way to bond over shared frustration.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use it if you are talking about a long, steady light. It must be a sudden burst. Avoid using it in very formal legal documents; lawyers prefer Geschwindigkeitsüberschreitung. Do not use it for a flashlight beam, which is leuchten. If you use it to describe a person, it might sound like they are moving at light speed, which is rare.
Cultural Background
Germany is famous for the Autobahn, but city speed limits are strictly enforced. The 'Blitzer' (speed camera) is a legendary villain in German culture. There are even radio stations that announce 'Blitzer-Meldungen' every half hour. Germans have a love-hate relationship with these devices. They value order but hate the 'Starenkasten' (birdhouse-style camera) hiding in the trees.
Common Variations
The noun der Blitzer is the camera itself. Aufblitzen describes a sudden thought or a brief spark of light. Abblitzen is a funny one; it means to be rejected or 'shot down' by someone you like. If you try to flirt and fail, you blitzen ab. It is like the person's 'no' was a flash that sent you away.
Notas de uso
The verb is very versatile but watch the context. If you are driving, it's about tickets; if you are looking at the sky, it's about weather.
The Red Flash
In Germany, speed cameras usually flash a distinct red light, not white. If you see a red flash in your rearview mirror, you've been 'geblitzt'.
App Usage
Using 'Blitzer-Apps' while driving is technically illegal in Germany, though many people still listen to radio reports about them.
The 'Starenkasten'
Germans call stationary speed cameras 'Starenkästen' (starling boxes) because they look like birdhouses on poles.
Exemplos
6Vorsicht, hier wird oft geblitzt!
Watch out, they often flash (speed trap) here!
A very common warning given to drivers.
Ich wurde heute Morgen geblitzt und war total genervt.
I got caught by a speed camera this morning and was totally annoyed.
Uses the passive voice to describe the event.
Siehst du, wie es am Horizont blitzt?
Do you see how the lightning is flashing on the horizon?
The literal meteorological use of the word.
Bitte fahren Sie vorsichtig, da die Polizei heute verstärkt blitzt.
Please drive carefully, as the police are flashing (speed trapping) more today.
Formal warning about police activity.
Mist! Schon wieder geblitzt worden. 30 Euro weg.
Crap! Got flashed again. 30 Euros gone.
Short, punchy sentence typical for texting.
Der Blitzer war hinter einer Mülltonne versteckt!
The speed camera was hidden behind a trash can!
Expressing disbelief at the 'sneakiness' of traffic enforcement.
Teste-se
You are driving too fast and see a red light. What happened?
Ich wurde gerade ___.
`geblitzt` is the past participle used to say you were caught by a speed camera.
How do you say it is lightning outside?
Draußen ___ es.
For weather phenomena, we use the third person singular: `es blitzt`.
🎉 Pontuação: /2
Recursos visuais
Formality of 'blitzen'
Telling a friend you got a ticket.
Ich wurde geblitzt!
Radio traffic reports.
Es wird auf der A8 geblitzt.
Legal documents (rarely uses 'blitzen').
Geschwindigkeitsmessung
Where to use 'blitzen'
Thunderstorm
Es blitzt und donnert.
Speed Trap
Achtung, Blitzer!
Jewelry
Ihr Ring blitzt.
Photography
Nicht blitzen, bitte!
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasNo, while it literally means lightning, its most common everyday use refers to speed cameras catching drivers.
You say Ich wurde geblitzt. This implies the camera caught you, which leads to the ticket.
Not at all. It is a neutral, descriptive verb used by everyone from teenagers to grandmothers.
Yes, you can say Bitte nicht blitzen, which means 'Please don't use the flash'.
A Blitzer is the noun for the speed camera itself. You might hear Da steht ein Blitzer!
Yes, blitzen is the visual flash (lightning), while donnern is the sound (thunder).
Yes, if something reflects light suddenly, like a diamond or a clean car, you can say it blitzt.
It is a slang term for being rejected, usually in a romantic context. Er ist bei ihr abgeblitzt means she turned him down.
Yes, it is very common for German radio DJs to list current Blitzer locations provided by listeners.
Very often! Ich wurde geblitzt (I was flashed) is the standard way to report your misfortune.
Frases relacionadas
Donnern
To thunder
Abblitzen
To be rejected/shot down
Der Blitzer
The speed camera
Aufblitzen
To flash up or sparkle briefly
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