noun
track, trace, mark
B1
Spur (die Spur) means track, trace or mark—used for physical traces (footprints) or figurative traces (evidence). Plural is Spuren. Note gender feminine. No preposition required; often appears in compounds (Spurensuche) and idioms (eine Spur von…). Not irregular; regular declension forms.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Der Hund hinterließ tiefe Spuren im Schnee.
The dog left deep tracks in the snow.
Die Polizei folgte der Spur, die der Zeuge beschrieb, und fand schließlich das gestohlene Fahrrad.
The police followed the trail that the witness described and finally found the stolen bicycle.
Es gab keine Spur vom Täter.
There was no trace of the perpetrator.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Imagine footprints or tire tracks left on a muddy path
Sounds like 'spur' in English — think of wheel tracks or animal tracks
Use 'die' — think 'die Spur' (the trace/track) because many -ur nouns are feminine
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Spur is versatile: it can refer to physical tracks (footprints, tire tracks), traces (evidence), or figurative traces. Collocations include 'Spuren hinterlassen' (to leave traces) and legal/crime contexts.