What does “ethische Strahlkraft” mean in German?

Wer Konfuzius war und was er lehrte

WhatsAppGmailTelegramEmail

B2 German listening practice · German · Picked for people who know more

💡 Did you know?
ethische Strahlkraft
German compound for moral pull
The pull of someone’s good character that makes people want to follow them, without force.

In this clip, Confucius tells rulers not to lean on harsh punishment or armies. He believes a good leader wins people through “ethische Strahlkraft” — their moral shine. “Strahlkraft” means the power to give off light or radiate; add “ethisch” (moral) and you get the idea that good character can glow and draw others in. So people follow such a leader gladly, on their own, not because they are forced.

The spoken line is: “ein guter Herrscher andere durch seine ethische Strahlkraft inspiriert, ihm spontan zu folgen” — “a good ruler inspires others through his moral radiance to follow him willingly.” “Strahlkraft” comes from “strahlen” (to shine or radiate), so it names the power something has to beam outward. It’s often used in a non-literal way: “Die Marke hat enorme Strahlkraft” (the brand has huge reach and appeal); “Ihre Rede hatte große Strahlkraft” (her speech really pulled people in). “Ethisch” means to do with right and wrong. Together, “ethische Strahlkraft” paints good character as a kind of light that other people feel and are drawn toward.

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this B2 German listening practice video?

86.1%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common German words
Most of the words in this video are common German words.

How common in written German

78.2%
Top 1,000
86.1%
Top 2,000
92.3%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken German

91.7%
Top 1,000
97.5%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000
👄 Words for talking
This video uses words people often say in German.

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than B2. Here is what they mean.

konfuzius
16×
Not in top 5,000
(proper noun) Confucius
abtaten
1×
Not in top 5,000
(garbage text)
analekten
1×
Not in top 5,000
analects or selected passages
angewidert
1×
Not in top 5,000
disgusted; repelled
anleitet
1×
Not in top 5,000
guides; instructs; trains

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

See German Videos You Can Understand on Reelang

Open German page