21 December 2025
How do you say shot in German?
The German word for shot is der Schuss.Schuss in German can mean a gunshot, a shot at goal in soccer, or a splash or dash of something (ein Schuss Milch). Careful: the shot of liquor you order at a bar is ein Kurzer or simply ein Shot. It’s a versatile word with both serious and casual uses.
It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (you can grab the free illustrated PDF here).
Gender and Pronunciation
It’s a masculine noun: der Schuss.Want help locking down noun genders? This video lesson gives you memorable tools.
Pronunciation:Schuss is pronounced [shuss]
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Short u, as in “put” - not the long “oo” of “goose”
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One syllable: SHUSS
Example sentences
Der Schuss ging daneben.
The shot missed.
Ich brauche einen Schuss Milch im Kaffee.
I need a splash of milk in my coffee.
Hast du den Schuss gehört?
Did you hear the shot?
How does this word come up in real conversations?
“Das war ein perfekter Schuss!”
That was a perfect shot!
“Der Schuss kam aus dem Nichts.”
The shot came out of nowhere.
“Nur ein kleiner Schuss Zitrone, bitte.”
Just a small splash of lemon, please.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Max: Warst du das mit dem Schuss?Tina: Ja! Volle Punktzahl am Schießstand.Max: Nicht schlecht - du hast echt Talent.Tina: Danke! Glück war auch dabei.
Translation:Max: Was that your shot?Tina: Yep! Full points at the shooting range.Max: Not bad - you’ve got real talent.Tina: Thanks! A little luck helped too.
Grammatical case examples
Nominative:Der Schuss war laut.
The shot was loud.
Accusative:Ich habe den Schuss gehört.
I heard the shot.
Dative:Mit dem Schuss wurde das Spiel entschieden.
The shot decided the game.
Genitive:Die Richtung des Schusses war klar.
The direction of the shot was clear.
Other ways to say shot in German
While Schuss is the default for shot in German, you may see Impfspritze (vaccination shot) in medical contexts. Torschuss is a goal attempt in soccer, Gewehrschuss is a rifle shot, and Schnappschuss is a snapshot (candid photo). In cooking, ein Schuss Sahne means a dash of cream.
Word variations and tidbits
Schuss shows up in Kopfschuss (headshot), Warnschuss (warning shot), Nachschuss (follow-up shot), and Schusswaffe (firearm). In cooking, a Schuss of something means a dash or splash. The idiom einen Schuss haben humorously means someone’s a little crazy-“off their rocker.” Also common: ein Schuss ins Blaue (a shot in the dark), ein Schuss in den Ofen (a total flop), and weit vom Schuss (far from the action).
📘 Duden entry for Schuss🎥 Want to fire up your German skills? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 German nouns - with grammar, examples, and a printable PDF.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?Do you know what Schwein means? A lucky one might dodge a Schuss.And what about Schüler? He might score one in his next match.
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