die Abwandlung
variation
A slightly changed form or version of something existing; a variant.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Gericht ist eine vegetarische Abwandlung des klassischen Rezepts.
This dish is a vegetarian variation of the classic recipe.
die Abwandlung
variation
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Meanings
die Abwandlung
inflection
In linguistics, the change in the form of a word to indicate its grammatical function in a sentence (e.g., case, tense, person). A synonym for declension/conjugation or inflection.
EXAMPLE
Die Konjugation der Verben ist eine Form der grammatischen Abwandlung.
The conjugation of verbs is a form of grammatical inflection.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Abwandlung' (variation) is a noun derived from the verb 'abwandeln' (to modify something slightly). The ending '-ung' turns verbs into nouns, which are always feminine (therefore 'die Abwandlung').
EXAMPLE
Die Endung „-ung“ ist ein klares Signal für ein feminines Nomen.
The ending '-ung' is a clear signal of a feminine noun.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If people are talking about recipes, music, or stories, it means a 'variant'. If it is about grammar, words, or language, it means 'inflection'.
EXAMPLE
Diese Soße ist eine leichte Abwandlung des Originals. (Variante)
This sauce is a slight variation of the original. (variant)
Sentence structure with 'von' or genitive
To say what something is a variation of, you use either the preposition 'von' with the dative or the genitive. The genitive is somewhat more formal.
EXAMPLE
Der Film ist eine moderne Abwandlung von einem alten Märchen.
The film is a modern variation of an old fairy tale.
Register: technical language
In the meaning of 'grammatical change', 'Abwandlung' (inflection) is a technical term from language studies (linguistics). In everyday life, you will rarely hear this word used in this sense.
EXAMPLE
Im Deutschkurs lernen wir die verschiedenen Abwandlungen der Verben.
In German class, we learn the different inflections of verbs.
Compare with
Abwandlung vs Variante
variant
Variante and Abwandlung can both refer to a slightly changed form. Variante presents it primarily as one possible alternative. Abwandlung emphasizes more strongly that it came about through changing something that already existed.
Abwandlung
Durch den Austausch von Sahne gegen Kokosmilch entstand eine Abwandlung des Grundrezepts.
Replacing the cream with coconut milk created a variation on the basic recipe.
Variante
Auf der Speisekarte steht die Suppe ohne Sahne als leichte Variante zur Auswahl.
The soup without cream is offered on the menu as a lighter variant.
In real life
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