Frame description

These lexical units describe a conflict between two Sides  (Side_1 and Side_2) who disagree on some Issue. The encounter takes the form of a physical fight, and may have a Purpose that the Sides hope to achieve. The difference between the Fighting frame and the Arguing frame is that Fighting always involves some sort of physical altercation, while Arguing denotes a verbal conflict (which may or may not escalate to violence). 

One of the Sides may use an Instrument in the fight (e.g. "er greift ihn mit einem Messer   an," "he attacks him with a knife"). 

Examples:

1. Demonstranten griffen einen Beamten mit einer Holzlatte an.1. Demonstrators attacked a civil servant with a wooden slat.
2. Es gab einen Konflikt zwischen Einheimischen und dem Staat.2. There was a conflict between locals and the state.
3. Es ist ein Kampf ums blanke Überleben.3. It is a struggle for bare survival.

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Frame Elements

Frame Element descriptions (on hover):

Side_1

Someone who is fighting (typically realized as the grammatical subject). If the fight is one-sided, this is the aggressor.

Side_2

The other person involved in the fight (against Side_1). 

Sides

The two opposing parties involved in the fight.

Issue

An unresolved question over which the two Sides are in disagreement and about which they are thus fighting.

Purpose

The desired outcome of the fight/argument for Side_1 (or for all Sides collectively).

Instrument

The weapon or other item used by one of the Sides in the fight to try to harm the other.

Details
Examples
Grammar Notes
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angreifen verb to attack

Details:

to attack

The verb is used to describe an act of violent agression in a way similar to English "to attack." These types of actions can include physical contact between Sides and the use of weapons to harm one another over an Issue. To express the instrument of attack (i.e. the weapon used), "mit" ("with") is used, as in examples 6 and 7. This verb can also be used to describe a heated verbal argument between Sides over an Issue (although this usage falls within the Arguing frame, not Fighting).

As in English, it is often used in the passive voice, as in "jemand wurde angegriffen" ("someone was attacked"). See examples 4 and 6.

Der Schwan greift die Wildgans an. / The swan attacks the wild goose.

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

"der Angreifer / die Angreiferin" ("male / female offender," "male / female assailant," "male / female attacker"), "der Angriff" ("attack"), "angreifbar" ("vulnerable," "assailable," "attackable")

Synonyms:

"anfallen," "überfallen," "gegen jemanden gewaltsam vorgehen," "attackieren"

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„angreifen“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/angreifen>, abgerufen am 07.02.2022.

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Example Sentences:

  1. Hilf mir! Sie greift mich an!
  2. Der Hund hat den Briefträger angegriffen.
  3. Forscher versuchen nun Krebsstammzellen anzugreifen.
  4. Ein Jugendlicher griff einen 71-jährigen Mann an und verletzte ihn leicht.
  5. Sechs Prozent wurden sogar schon körperlich angegriffen.
  6. Demonstranten griffen einen Beamten mit einer Holzlatte an.
  7. Ein 34-Jähriger ist in Hamburg-Bergedorf von zwei Männern mit einem Messer angegriffen und lebensgefährlich verletzt worden.
  1. Help me! She is attacking me!
  2. The dog attacked the mailman.
  3. Researchers are now trying to attack cancer stem cells.
  4. A young man attacked a 71-year-old man and slightly injured him.
  5. Six percent were even already physically attacked.
  6. Demonstrators attacked a civil servant with a wooden slat.
  7. A 34 year old was in Hamburg-Bergedorf by two men with a knife attacked and critically injured.
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Grammar:

Verbs with Separable Prefixes

Some verbs have a prefix that moves around in the sentence, depending on what form the verb takes. You can expect the prefix to appear at the end of the sentence or clause, but whether the verb appears there with it depends on the rest of the sentence (tense, presence of a modal verb, etc.). In the infinitive form, the prefix is attached, like "ausgehen" ("to go out"). If the verb is conjugated (in present or simple past tense), the prefix appears at the end of the clause, as in "Ich gehe heute Abend aus" ("I am going out tonight"). The chart below shows several structural variants for these kinds of verbs. For more information, see the examples for individual verbs in the G-FOL or read these explanations from Grimm Grammar: present tense, conversational past tense (Perfekt).

Die erste Stelle (first position)V2 (verb 2nd)Rest (the rest of the info)am Ende (at the end)
Am Samstagabendgeheich mit Freundenaus.
Ichgingam Samstagabend mit Freunden aus.
Mit Freundenbinich am Samstagabendausgegangen.
Wanngeheich mit Freundenaus?
Ichkannnicht am Samstagabend mit Freunden ausgehen.
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Templates with Frame Elements:

  1. SIDE_1 greift SIDE_2 an.
  2. SIDE_1 greift SIDE_2 wegen ISSUE an.
  1. SIDE_1 attacks SIDE_2.
  2. SIDE_1 attacks SIDE_2 because of ISSUE.
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Details:

to attack

The verb is used to describe an act of violent agression in a way similar to English "to attack." These types of actions can include physical contact between Sides and the use of weapons to harm one another over an Issue. To express the instrument of attack (i.e. the weapon used), "mit" ("with") is used, as in examples 6 and 7. This verb can also be used to describe a heated verbal argument between Sides over an Issue (although this usage falls within the Arguing frame, not Fighting).

As in English, it is often used in the passive voice, as in "jemand wurde angegriffen" ("someone was attacked"). See examples 4 and 6.

Der Schwan greift die Wildgans an. / The swan attacks the wild goose.

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

"der Angreifer / die Angreiferin" ("male / female offender," "male / female assailant," "male / female attacker"), "der Angriff" ("attack"), "angreifbar" ("vulnerable," "assailable," "attackable")

Synonyms:

"anfallen," "überfallen," "gegen jemanden gewaltsam vorgehen," "attackieren"

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„angreifen“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/angreifen>, abgerufen am 07.02.2022.

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Alternate Forms:

(er) greift an, griff an, hat angegriffen
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Kampf, der noun battle, fight, struggle, war

Details:

battle, fight, struggle, war

This noun is used to describe a fight between Sides. While there are no FEs that must always be realized with this noun, any of the FEs in this frame can appear. One notable collocation is the phrase "jemandem den Kampf ansagen," which means "to declare war on s.o."

Watch out! This noun is very frequently used metaphorically! Among some of its other senses are "fight" for a public office in an election, the fight for recovery from an illness (e.g. "der Kampf gegen den Krebs," "the fight against cancer"), the fight against an issue (e.g. "im Kampf gegen Doping," "in the fight against doping") or the fight for a win in sports ("im Kampf um einen Platz unter den ersten Acht," "in the fight for a place among the first eight").

Der Kampf zwischen zwei Springböcken / fight between two springboks

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

 

Boxkampf / boxing match

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

Further details:

Word formation:

"der Kampfanzug" ("combat gear," "battle dress"), "die Kampfansage" ("challenge"), "der Kampfsport" ("martial arts"), "der Kampfhund" ("attack dog," "fight dog"), "der Kampfgeist" ("fighting spirit"), "kampflustig" ("combative," "pugnacious"), "kampflos" ("without a fight," "without a struggle"), "der Befreiungskampf" ("fight for liberation"), "der Machtkampf" ("power struggle"), "der Dreikampf" ("triathlon"), "der Einzelkampf" ("single combat," "individual competition"), among others

Synonyms:

"das Gefecht," "die Schlacht," "der Waffengang," "der Feldzug," "der Kreuzzug," "das Match," "die Auseinandersetzung," among others

More information in DWDS, the digital dictionary of the German language:

„Kampf“, bereitgestellt durch das Digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, <https://www.dwds.de/wb/Kampf>, abgerufen am 07.02.2022.

 

This word is part of the vocabulary for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1.

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Example Sentences:

  1. Es ist ein Kampf ums blanke Überleben.
  2. 1831 weiten sich die Kämpfe zwischen Polen und Russen aus.
  3. Die Türkei und die Kurden konkurrieren im Kampf gegen den IS.
  4. Dann begann der Kampf mit den Titanen.
  5. Im Kampf um die IS-Hochburg Mossul vermeldet die irakische Armee einen neuen Erfolg. 
  6. Das ist ein Kampf für Demokratie.
  7. Das war anders geworden, seit sich die Westdeutschen als Sieger im Kampf um die deutsche Einheit fühlen konnten.
  8. Aus diesem Kampf ging keiner als Sieger hervor.
  9. Im Schulbus gibt es immer einen Kampf um die Sitzplätze.
  10. Es war ein Kampf auf Leben und Tod.
  1. It is a struggle for bare survival.
  2. In 1831 widened the battles between Polen and Russia.
  3. Turkey and the Kurds compete in the battle against the IS (Islamic State).
  4. Then began the battle with the titans.
  5. In the fight for the IS-stronghold Mossul the Iraqi army announces a new success.
  6. That is a fight for democracy.
  7. That had become different, since the West-Germans could feel like victors in the fight for German unity.
  8. From this battle, no one went forth as a victor.
  9. In the schoolbus there is always a fight about the seats.
  10. It was a life and death fight.
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Templates with Frame Elements:

  1. [Kampf um PURPOSE]
  2. [Kampf für PURPOSE]
  3. [Kampf gegen SIDE_2]
  4. [Kampf mit SIDE_2]
  5. [Kampf zwischen SIDES]
  1. [fight for PURPOSE]
  2. [fight for PURPOSE]
  3. [fight against SIDE_2]
  4. [fight with SIDE_2]
  5. [fight between SIDES]
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Details:

battle, fight, struggle, war

This noun is used to describe a fight between Sides. While there are no FEs that must always be realized with this noun, any of the FEs in this frame can appear. One notable collocation is the phrase "jemandem den Kampf ansagen," which means "to declare war on s.o."

Watch out! This noun is very frequently used metaphorically! Among some of its other senses are "fight" for a public office in an election, the fight for recovery from an illness (e.g. "der Kampf gegen den Krebs," "the fight against cancer"), the fight against an issue (e.g. "im Kampf gegen Doping," "in the fight against doping") or the fight for a win in sports ("im Kampf um einen Platz unter den ersten Acht," "in the fight for a place among the first eight").

Der Kampf zwischen zwei Springböcken / fight between two springboks

Pixabay license, via Pixabay.com

 

Boxkampf / boxing match