Schlägst

Schlägst is the second-person singular present indicative form of the German verb schlagen, which means to strike, hit, beat, or defeat. As a present-tense form it is used with the subject du. The verb’s infinitive is schlagen; the simple past is schlug, and the past participle is geschlagen. The full present tense paradigm includes ich schlage, du schlägst, er schlägt, wir schlagen, ihr schlagt, sie schlagen. The du-form schlägst features an umlaut (a becomes ä), a regular pattern for many strong verbs in the present tense.

Usage and senses include both physical actions and metaphorical or competitive contexts. For example, schlagen can refer to hammering or driving a nail, defeating an opponent, or surpassing a record. It also appears in questions and suggestions, as in Was schlägst du vor? (“What do you suggest?”). Common collocations include den Nagel in die Wand schlagen (to drive the nail into the wall) and jemanden im Spiel schlagen (to beat someone in a game). The verb can carry neutral or forceful connotations depending on context, ranging from constructive actions to acts of aggression.

Etymology and related forms: schlagen is of Germanic origin and has cognates across the Germanic language family. In noun form, Schlag means “a blow” or “a strike,” with the plural Schläge. In compounds and tenses, schlagen participates in the regular German perfect tenses with the auxiliary haben (ich habe geschlagen) and in the simple past as schlug. The second-person form schlägst illustrates the characteristic umlaut alternation that appears in several present-tense forms of German strong verbs.