Example: Wir müssen jetzt die Weichen für die Zukunft stellen.
Definition
"Die Weichen stellen" is a German expression meaning to set the course or determine the direction for future developments or decisions, often used metaphorically to indicate taking action that influences what will happen later.
Translations
set the course
sentar las bases
de koers bepalen
marcar el rumb
poser les jalons
Etymology
The phrase "die Weichen stellen" originates from railway terminology where 'Weichen' are switches or points on the tracks that direct trains onto different paths. Literally meaning 'to set the switches,' it has been adopted metaphorically in German to describe making decisions that determine future outcomes.
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"Die Weichen stellen" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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set the course