It’s what your foot does—sometimes with power, sometimes with caution. In German, it’s der Tritt. This is your German word of the day, and it’s a short, strong word that shows up in sports, arguments, construction sites, and even in everyday movement.

The noun Tritt means kick, step, or footstep, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in physical descriptions, idioms, and even building instructions.

It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Tritt (want a simple, fast way to master gender? Our video lesson will give you the system that works).

Pronunciation

Tritt is pronounced [trit].

• It rhymes with “bit” or “fit”

• Short and sharp—just like the action it describes

• Stress is on the single syllable: TRITT

Example sentences:

Er gab dem Ball einen kräftigen Tritt.
He gave the ball a strong kick.

Pass auf, der Tritt ist rutschig!
Careful, that step is slippery!

Nuance and usage tips

Tritt can mean:

1. A physical kick

   • einen Tritt geben – to give a kick

   • einen Tritt bekommen – to get kicked

2. A step (as in movement or footing)

   • fester Tritt – firm footing

   • mit sicherem Tritt – with steady steps

   • ein falscher Tritt – a misstep (literally or figuratively)

3. A foothold or stair step

   • Trittfläche – tread or stepping surface

   • Trittstufe – stair step

Also common in idioms:

• jemandem in den Hintern treten – to kick someone in the butt (literally or as motivation)

• im Tritt bleiben – to stay in rhythm (e.g. when cycling or running)

How does this word come up in real conversations?

You’ll hear Tritt when people talk about:

• Injuries (“Ich hab einen Tritt abbekommen.”)

• Sports (“Der Tritt war unfair.”)

• Hiking or physical movement (“Der Pfad erfordert sicheren Tritt.”)

• Motivational talk (“Manchmal braucht man einen Tritt in den Hintern.”)

It’s short, physical, and very common in both serious and humorous speech.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Mila: Was ist mit deinem Bein passiert?
Emil: Ich hab beim Spiel einen Tritt bekommen.
Mila: Autsch! War’s Absicht?
Emil: Keine Ahnung – war auf jeden Fall schmerzhaft.

Mila: What happened to your leg?
Emil: I got kicked during the game.
Mila: Ouch! Was it on purpose?
Emil: No idea—but it definitely hurt.

Grammatical case examples:

Nominative:
Der Tritt war heftig.
The kick was strong.

Accusative:
Ich habe den Tritt gespürt.
I felt the kick.

Dative:
Mit dem Tritt kam ich nicht klar.
I couldn’t handle the step.

Genitive:
Die Kraft des Tritts war überraschend.
The power of the kick was surprising.

Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des

Word variations and language tidbits

Related words and expressions:

• Fußtritt – kick with the foot

• Trittfläche – surface you step on

• Trittschall – impact sound (often in building acoustics)

• Trittleiter – step ladder

• Trittbrett – footboard / step (also in Trittbrettfahrer – "freeloader")

Cultural note: You’ll often hear einen Tritt geben used metaphorically—especially in motivational contexts, like “Er brauchte einen kleinen Tritt, um endlich anzufangen.”

📘 Duden entry
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