die Schranke
Translation
barrier, gate, limit, boundary
Examples
Die Schranke am Bahnübergang ist unten.
The barrier at the railway crossing is down.
Man muss seine eigenen Schranken überwinden.
One must overcome one's own limits.
Wir müssen dem Missbrauch Schranken setzen.
We must put a stop to the abuse.
Grammar Patterns
die Schranke (literal) the barrier, the gate Die Schranke geht hoch.
die Schranken (figurative) the limits, boundaries Es gibt gesetzliche Schranken.
((sth.dat)) Schranken setzen to put a stop to sth., to set limits for sth. Wir müssen der Verschwendung Schranken setzen.
Similar Words
Etymology
Shares its origin with 'Schrank' (cupboard), originally meaning a crossbar or beam used as a barrier.
Memory Tips
A 'Schranke' is like a single bar from a 'Schrank' (cupboard/lattice) used to block a path. Think of a railway crossing gate.