einen Durchbruch erzielen
To achieve a breakthrough
Literally: einen (a) Durchbruch (through-break) erzielen (to achieve/attain)
In 15 Seconds
- Overcoming a major obstacle after a long struggle.
- Common in business, science, and personal learning goals.
- Implies a significant, high-impact leap forward.
Meaning
It describes that incredible 'aha!' moment or a major success you reach after being stuck on a difficult problem for a long time.
Key Examples
3 of 6In a scientific laboratory
Die Forscher konnten endlich einen medizinischen Durchbruch erzielen.
The researchers were finally able to achieve a medical breakthrough.
Discussing language learning progress
Gestern hatte ich beim Lernen einen echten Durchbruch!
Yesterday I had a real breakthrough while studying!
A formal business meeting
Wir haben in den Verhandlungen einen entscheidenden Durchbruch erzielt.
We achieved a decisive breakthrough in the negotiations.
Cultural Background
The phrase reflects the German industrial and scientific heritage, where 'breaking through' a technical barrier is the ultimate goal. It became widely popular in the 20th century through news reporting on medical and technological advancements, emphasizing the transition from theory to successful application.
The 'Erzielen' Secret
In German, you don't just 'make' (machen) a breakthrough, you 'attain' it. Using 'erzielen' instead of 'machen' instantly makes you sound like a B2/C1 level speaker.
Don't be a Drama Queen
Avoid using this for everyday luck. If you find a 5-euro bill on the street, it's a 'Glücksfall' (stroke of luck), not a 'Durchbruch'.
In 15 Seconds
- Overcoming a major obstacle after a long struggle.
- Common in business, science, and personal learning goals.
- Implies a significant, high-impact leap forward.
What It Means
Imagine you are trying to solve a giant puzzle. You have been stuck for hours and nothing fits. Suddenly, you find that one piece that makes everything clear. That feeling is a Durchbruch. It is more than just a small success; it is a moment where a major barrier finally disappears. You have moved from being completely 'stuck' to 'progressing' in one big leap. It is like finally smashing through a thick brick wall that was blocking your path.
How To Use It
You usually use the verb erzielen with this noun. This verb means 'to achieve' or 'to attain.' It sounds a bit more sophisticated and polished than just saying you 'had' a success. You can use it in the past tense: Ich habe einen Durchbruch erzielt. Or you can use it to describe a team's collective effort. It fits perfectly in professional emails, project updates, or even when talking about your own personal growth. You can also add adjectives like groß (big) or entscheidend (decisive) to make the win sound even more impressive.
When To Use It
This phrase is a total star in the professional and academic world. Use it in meetings when your team finally solves a persistent software bug. Use it in science when a new medical treatment is found. It also works beautifully for language learning. Did you finally understand how German adjective endings work? That is a Durchbruch! Use it whenever the stakes are high and the solution required real effort. It shows that you are someone who persists until they win.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use this for tiny, everyday tasks. If you finally found your car keys after two minutes of searching, do not say you achieved a breakthrough. It will make you sound like you are starring in a very dramatic soap opera. Unless you are being intentionally funny with your friends, keep this phrase for the 'big' stuff. Also, avoid using it if the progress was easy. A Durchbruch implies there was a struggle or a 'wall' before the success. If there was no struggle, just use the word Erfolg (success).
Cultural Background
Germans deeply value the concept of Tüfteln (fiddling, engineering, and perfecting). We often spend a lot of time analyzing and perfecting things before they are 'ready.' Because we value this hard-earned progress, a Durchbruch is highly respected in German culture. It is not seen as a stroke of luck, but rather as the logical result of persistence and Gründlichkeit (thoroughness). When you use this phrase, you sound like someone who values the process as much as the result.
Common Variations
Sometimes you will hear Der Durchbruch gelang uns. This means 'The breakthrough succeeded for us,' and it sounds quite formal. You might also hear den Durchbruch schaffen. This is a bit more casual and very common in spoken German; it literally means 'to make the breakthrough.' If you are talking about a musician or actor finally becoming famous, you would say ihr gelang der internationale Durchbruch. This specifically refers to their 'big break' in the industry.
Usage Notes
The phrase is highly effective in professional settings to signal progress. Be careful with the verb 'erzielen'—it is a 'strong' verb that implies intentional effort and result-oriented action.
The 'Erzielen' Secret
In German, you don't just 'make' (machen) a breakthrough, you 'attain' it. Using 'erzielen' instead of 'machen' instantly makes you sound like a B2/C1 level speaker.
Don't be a Drama Queen
Avoid using this for everyday luck. If you find a 5-euro bill on the street, it's a 'Glücksfall' (stroke of luck), not a 'Durchbruch'.
The 'Big Break'
If you want to talk about a celebrity's first big success, use 'der Durchbruch' as a subject: 'Der Film war sein großer Durchbruch.' This is the exact equivalent of 'his big break'.
Examples
6Die Forscher konnten endlich einen medizinischen Durchbruch erzielen.
The researchers were finally able to achieve a medical breakthrough.
This is the classic, most common way to see the phrase in the news.
Gestern hatte ich beim Lernen einen echten Durchbruch!
Yesterday I had a real breakthrough while studying!
Using 'hatte' (had) makes it slightly more casual for personal use.
Wir haben in den Verhandlungen einen entscheidenden Durchbruch erzielt.
We achieved a decisive breakthrough in the negotiations.
The adjective 'entscheidend' adds weight to the success.
Endlich ein Durchbruch bei meinem Gitarrensolo!
Finally a breakthrough with my guitar solo!
Shortened version perfect for quick updates or texts.
Ich habe einen Durchbruch erzielt: Ich weiß jetzt, wie man die Spülmaschine richtig einräumt.
I've achieved a breakthrough: I now know how to load the dishwasher correctly.
Using a heavy phrase for a trivial task creates a funny, ironic effect.
In der letzten Sitzung haben wir einen emotionalen Durchbruch erzielt.
In the last session, we achieved an emotional breakthrough.
Used here to describe personal psychological progress.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'erzielen' or 'Durchbruch'.
Nach monatelanger Arbeit konnten die Ingenieure einen ___ erzielen.
The phrase 'einen Durchbruch erzielen' is a fixed collocation meaning to achieve a breakthrough.
Choose the correct verb to complete this professional statement.
Wir hoffen, dass wir heute eine Einigung ___.
While 'erzielen' is used with 'Durchbruch', it is also the standard verb for achieving agreements (Einigungen) or results (Ergebnisse) in professional German.
🎉 Score: /2
Visual Learning Aids
Formality of Success Phrases
Used with friends for small wins.
Ich hab's geschafft!
Standard way to describe a major win.
Einen Durchbruch erzielen
Academic or high-level diplomatic language.
Ein Durchbruch wurde konsensual herbeigeführt.
Where to use 'Durchbruch erzielen'
Science Lab
Finding a new vaccine.
Business Meeting
Signing a difficult contract.
Language School
Understanding complex grammar.
Therapy
Overcoming a mental block.
Tech Startup
Fixing a critical system bug.
Practice Bank
2 exercisesNach monatelanger Arbeit konnten die Ingenieure einen ___ erzielen.
The phrase 'einen Durchbruch erzielen' is a fixed collocation meaning to achieve a breakthrough.
Wir hoffen, dass wir heute eine Einigung ___.
While 'erzielen' is used with 'Durchbruch', it is also the standard verb for achieving agreements (Einigungen) or results (Ergebnisse) in professional German.
🎉 Score: /2
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNot at all! While common in science, it is used in business, politics, and personal development whenever a major obstacle is overcome.
It is grammatically okay, but it sounds very 'translated' from English. To sound natural, use erzielen or schaffen.
An Erfolg is any success. A Durchbruch specifically implies that you were stuck or facing a barrier before the success happened.
It is neutral to formal. You can use it in a newspaper article or when talking to your boss, but it's not too stiff for friends.
Use the Perfekt tense: Wir haben einen Durchbruch erzielt. In news reports, you might see the Präteritum: Man erzielte einen Durchbruch.
Usually no. If you literally break through a wall, you would use durchbrechen. Durchbruch erzielen is almost always metaphorical.
Yes, Durchbrüche, but it is rarely used because a breakthrough is usually seen as a singular, massive event.
Common ones are entscheidend (decisive), groß (big), wissenschaftlich (scientific), or lang ersehnt (long-awaited).
Yes! If a team hasn't won in months and finally wins a game, you can say they achieved a Durchbruch.
Yes, the verb erzielen takes the accusative case. So it is always einen Durchbruch (masculine accusative).
Related Phrases
den Durchbruch schaffen
einen Meilenstein erreichen
den Knoten lösen
zum Erfolg führen
ein Lichtblick sein
