tot|schlagen
Translation
to beat to death, to club to death, to kill time
Examples
Er hat die Spinne totgeschlagen.
He swatted the spider dead.
Wir haben die Zeit mit Warten totgeschlagen.
We killed time by waiting.
Grammar Patterns
((sb./sth.)) to beat sb./sth. to death He beat the snake to death.
((die Zeit)) to kill time We're killing time with card games.
Similar Words
umbringen (to kill), töten (to kill)
Etymology
A separable verb from 'tot' (dead) and 'schlagen' (to hit, beat). Literally 'to hit dead'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'schlagen' (hitting) something until it is 'tot' (dead). Remember the common idiomatic use for 'killing time'.