Schlüsselbein

collarbone; clavicle

noun SHLUE-sel-byn Rare

Usage Note

Schlüsselbein (lit. 'key bone') is the collarbone. The bone was historically compared in shape to an old key. A common sports injury: Schlüsselbeinfraktur (clavicle fracture). Plural: Schlüsselbeine.

Examples

"Der Radfahrer brach sich das Schlüsselbein beim Sturz."

Natural Translation

The cyclist broke his collarbone in the fall.

Literal Translation

The cyclist broke himself the collarbone in the fall.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Particles: doch, mal, ja, eben

German modal particles doch, mal, ja, and eben add attitude, not meaning. Before/after examples show how to use each one so your German stops sounding stiff.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Wollen and More

German modal verbs put the modal in position 2 and the real verb at the end. Master können, müssen, wollen and the rest with charts and clear examples.

June 5, 2026 5 min read