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absurd
Contradicting common sense or logic; pointless and nonsensical.
example
Es ist absurd zu glauben, man könne ohne Übung ein Instrument lernen.
It is absurd to believe that you can learn an instrument without practice.
absurd
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Sentence structure with infinitive
'Absurd' (absurd) is very often used in the structure 'Es ist absurd, … zu + infinitive' (It is absurd to ...). This is used to judge an action or idea as nonsensical.
EXAMPLE
Es ist absurd, zu erwarten, dass sich die Welt über Nacht ändert.
It is absurd to expect the world to change overnight.
Typical collocations
In its general meaning, 'absurd' (absurd) is often combined with nouns that describe an idea or situation. Common collocations are: 'eine absurde Idee' (an absurd idea), 'eine absurde Situation' (an absurd situation), 'ein absurder Gedanke' (an absurd thought), or 'ein absurder Vorschlag' (an absurd suggestion).
EXAMPLE
Sein Vorschlag, im Winter zelten zu gehen, war völlig absurd.
His suggestion to go camping in winter was completely absurd.
Context clue
You can recognize the special meaning in the field of art and literature from the context. The word then appears together with terms such as 'Theater' (theater), 'Drama' (drama), 'Literatur' (literature), or the names of authors.
EXAMPLE
Im Literaturkurs haben wir uns mit dem absurden Theater beschäftigt.
In the literature course, we studied theater of the absurd.
Compare with
absurd vs sinnvoll
sensible
'sinnvoll' and 'absurd' describe whether something seems logical or reasonable. You use 'sinnvoll' when something has a clear purpose or is useful. You use 'absurd' when something seems completely illogical or nonsensical. So the contrast is strong: a sensible idea can be well justified, while an absurd idea goes against normal common sense.
absurd
Die Idee, im Winter ohne Jacke zu wandern, ist absurd.
The idea of going hiking in winter without a jacket is absurd.
sinnvoll
Vor der Reise ist es sinnvoll, die wichtigsten Dokumente zu kopieren.
Before the trip, it is sensible to copy the most important documents.
In real life
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