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Vocab: Music & arts — B2
Music & arts vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
der Akt — act, deed; act, section of a play; file, dossier
In this sense, der Akt is a meaningful action or deed, often in formal language. Do not confuse it with die Akte, which means a file or dossier.
Seine Hilfe war ein Akt der Solidarität.
His help was an act of solidarity.
seine Hilfe means his help, and Solidarität means solidarity. Ein Akt is nominative because it follows war as the subject complement; der Solidarität is genitive because it specifies the kind of act.
Viele Menschen sehen diese Entscheidung als einen Akt des Mutes.
Many people see this decision as an act of courage.
viele Menschen means many people, die Entscheidung means the decision, and Mut means courage. Einen Akt is accusative because sehen takes an accusative object; als introduces the description of that object.
Mit diesem Akt wollte er ein Zeichen setzen.
With this act, he wanted to send a signal.
mit means with, wollen means to want, and ein Zeichen setzen means to send or make a sign. Diesem Akt is dative because mit requires the dative; with wollte, the infinitive phrase ein Zeichen setzen goes to the end.
Die Bedeutung des Aktes blieb lange umstritten.
The meaning of the act remained controversial for a long time.
die Bedeutung means the meaning, lange means for a long time, and umstritten means controversial. Des Aktes is genitive because it identifies whose meaning is meant; the finite verb blieb stands in position two.
Solche Akte verändern manchmal die Geschichte.
Such acts sometimes change history.
solche means such, verändern means change, and die Geschichte means history. Akte is plural and nominative because it is the subject, while die Geschichte is accusative after verändern.
Im zweiten Akt wird der Konflikt gelöst.
In the second act, the conflict is resolved.
im zweiten means in the second one, der Konflikt means the conflict, and gelöst means resolved. Im zweiten Akt is dative because in expresses location in a work; the passive phrase wird gelöst comes after the fronted phrase.
Nach dem letzten Akt applaudierte das Publikum lange.
After the final act, the audience applauded for a long time.
nach means after, das Publikum means the audience, applaudieren means to applaud, and lange means for a long time. Dem letzten Akt is dative because nach always takes the dative; the finite verb applaudierte is in position two.
Der Anwalt liest den Akt sorgfältig.
The lawyer is reading the file carefully.
der Anwalt means the lawyer, lesen means to read, and sorgfältig means carefully. Den Akt is accusative because lesen takes a direct object; the adverb sorgfältig describes how the action is done.
Die Informationen stehen in einem Akt.
The information is contained in a file.
die Informationen means the information, stehen means are contained or written, and in means in. Einem Akt is dative because in expresses location, and stehen is in position two.
die Dichtung — seal, gasket; poetry, literary work
In technical language, die Dichtung is a seal or gasket. The plural die Dichtungen is regular and takes -en.
Die Dichtung am Wasserhahn ist kaputt.
The seal on the tap is broken.
der Wasserhahn is the tap, and kaputt means broken. Die Dichtung is the nominative subject; am means an dem, and am Wasserhahn is dative because an describes the seal's fixed position.
Der Mechaniker ersetzt die Dichtung.
The mechanic replaces the seal.
der Mechaniker is the mechanic, and ersetzt means replaces. Die Dichtung is accusative because ersetzen takes a direct object; the finite verb ersetzt stands in position two.
Wir vertrauen dem Fachmann bei der Reparatur der Dichtung.
We trust the specialist with the repair of the seal.
wir vertrauen means we trust, der Fachmann is the specialist, and die Reparatur is the repair. Dem Fachmann is dative because vertrauen requires a dative person, while der Dichtung is genitive and means of the seal.
Die Oberfläche der Dichtung ist porös.
The surface of the seal is porous.
die Oberfläche is the surface, and porös means porous. Der Dichtung is genitive and shows which seal the surface belongs to; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Der Betrieb lagert Ersatz-Dichtungen.
The company stores replacement seals.
der Betrieb is the company or business, lagert means stores, and Ersatz means replacement. Ersatz-Dichtungen is an accusative plural object after lagern; the plural ending -en remains visible after the compound prefix.
Goethes Dichtung gehört zur Weltliteratur.
Goethe's poetry belongs to world literature.
Goethes means Goethe's, gehört zu means belongs to, and Weltliteratur means world literature. Goethes Dichtung is the nominative subject, while zur means zu der and takes the dative; gehört is in position two.
Diese Dichtung verbindet Sprache und Musik.
This literary work combines language and music.
diese means this, verbindet means combines, and Sprache und Musik mean language and music. Diese Dichtung is the nominative subject, while Sprache and Musik are accusative objects of verbindet; the finite verb is in position two.
illustrieren — to illustrate
illustrieren is a regular -ieren verb: illustrieren – illustrierte – hat illustriert. Verbs ending in -ieren never add ge- in the Partizip II, and this verb normally takes an accusative object such as einen Text.
Die Zeichnerin illustriert ein Kinderbuch.
The illustrator illustrates a children's book.
Die Zeichnerin means the female illustrator, and ein Kinderbuch means a children's book. Kinderbuch is accusative because illustrieren takes an accusative object, and the finite verb illustriert stands in position two.
Die Zeichnerin hat ein Kinderbuch illustriert.
The illustrator has illustrated a children's book.
Die Zeichnerin means the female illustrator and Kinderbuch means children's book. The perfect uses hat plus the Partizip II illustriert, which goes to the end; the object ein Kinderbuch is accusative.
Die Zeichnerin illustrierte das Buch mit Bildern.
The illustrator illustrated the book with pictures.
Die Zeichnerin means the female illustrator, das Buch means the book, and mit Bildern means with pictures. das Buch is accusative because it is the object, while the regular preterite illustrierte is the finite verb in position two.
Illustriere den Text mit einem Beispiel.
Illustrate the text with an example.
den Text means the text and mit einem Beispiel means with an example. Illustriere is an informal singular command, so du is omitted and the verb stands first; den Text is accusative.
Ich würde den Vorgang gern illustrieren.
I would gladly illustrate the process.
den Vorgang means the process and gern means gladly. würde marks the Konjunktiv II, while illustrieren remains an infinitive at the end; den Vorgang is accusative because it is the object.
Die Grafik wird den Vorgang illustrieren.
The graphic will illustrate the process.
Die Grafik means the graphic and den Vorgang means the process. Future tense uses wird plus the infinitive illustrieren at the end; den Vorgang is accusative as the object.
der Poetry-Slam — poetry slam
der Poetry-Slam is a live performance event, often with competition and audience judging. The borrowed noun forms its plural with -s: die Poetry-Slams; it is often also written with a hyphen in German.
Der Poetry-Slam findet heute Abend statt.
The poetry slam is taking place this evening.
findet statt means is taking place, and heute Abend means this evening. Der Poetry-Slam is the nominative subject; stattfinden is separable, so findet is in position two and statt goes to the end.
Wir besuchen morgen einen Poetry-Slam.
We are going to a poetry slam tomorrow.
besuchen means visit or attend, and morgen means tomorrow. einen Poetry-Slam is accusative because besuchen takes a direct object; the masculine article changes from ein to einen.
Bei dem Poetry-Slam treten viele Künstler auf.
Many artists perform at the poetry slam.
bei dem means at the, and viele Künstler means many artists. bei always takes the dative, so dem Poetry-Slam is dative; treten ... auf means perform and splits because auftreten is separable.
Die Atmosphäre des Poetry-Slams war großartig.
The atmosphere of the poetry slam was fantastic.
die Atmosphäre means the atmosphere, and großartig means fantastic. des Poetry-Slams is genitive because it identifies which event the atmosphere belongs to; the masculine noun takes -s in the genitive.
In Berlin gibt es jedes Jahr mehrere Poetry-Slams.
Several poetry slams take place in Berlin every year.
jedes Jahr means every year, mehrere means several, and gibt es means there are. mehrere Poetry-Slams is plural and accusative after es gibt; the plural is formed with -s.
die Regie — direction; production management; control room; production control
Regie is mainly used for the artistic direction of a film or theatre production. In unter der Regie von the preposition unter is part of a fixed expression and the person after von is in the dative.
Die Regie war ausgezeichnet.
The direction was excellent.
ausgezeichnet means excellent or outstanding. Die Regie is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb war stands in position two.
Wir loben die Regie des Films.
We praise the direction of the film.
loben means to praise and der Film means film. die Regie is accusative because loben takes a direct object; des Films is genitive and means of the film.
Der Schauspieler vertraut der Regie.
The actor trusts the director’s guidance.
der Schauspieler means actor and vertrauen means to trust. der Regie is dative because vertrauen always takes a dative object, even though English uses a direct object.
Die Qualität der Regie entscheidet über den Erfolg.
The quality of the direction determines the success.
die Qualität means quality, entscheidet means determines, and der Erfolg means success. der Regie is genitive because it specifies whose quality is meant; über den Erfolg is an accusative phrase after über here.
Bei diesem Festival arbeiten mehrere Regien zusammen.
Several directing teams work together at this festival.
bei diesem Festival means at this festival, mehrere means several, and zusammenarbeiten means to work together. Regien is the plural of die Regie; bei takes the dative, but the plural subject remains nominative.
Die Sendung wird aus der Regie gesteuert.
The programme is controlled from the control room.
die Sendung means programme or broadcast, and gesteuert means controlled. aus takes the dative, so der Regie is dative; wird ... gesteuert is a passive construction with the participle at the end.
Bitte rufen Sie sofort die Regie an.
Please call the control room immediately.
sofort means immediately and anrufen means to call. die Regie is accusative because it is the object of anrufen; in the polite imperative, rufen comes first and the separable prefix an goes to the end.