anecdote
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anecdote
A short, often entertaining or remarkable story about a person or event, usually based on a true incident.
Der Professor lockerte seinen Vortrag mit einer persönlichen Anekdote auf.
The professor livened up his lecture with a personal anecdote.
An anecdote is usually 'erzählt' (told). A slightly more elevated expression is 'eine Anekdote zum Besten geben' (to tell/share an anecdote).
Mein Großvater erzählt gerne Anekdoten aus seiner Jugend.
My grandfather likes telling anecdotes from his youth.
To name the subject of the anecdote, you use the preposition 'über' (about) with the accusative, or less commonly 'von' (of/about) with the dative.
Er erzählte eine interessante Anekdote über einen berühmten Wissenschaftler.
He told an interesting anecdote about a famous scientist.
Common adjectives that describe an anecdote are 'lustig' (funny), 'persönlich' (personal), 'kurz' (short), 'interessant' (interesting), or 'amüsant' (amusing).
Sie begann ihre Rede mit einer kurzen persönlichen Anekdote.
She began her speech with a short personal anecdote.
story / history
A Geschichte can be short or long, true or invented, and can also be told in a completely neutral way. An Anekdote, by contrast, is a short, usually true story about a person or event that comes across as entertaining, unusual, or pointed.
Der Großvater erzählt eine kurze lustige Anekdote aus seiner Schulzeit.
The grandfather tells a short, funny anecdote from his school days.
Der Großvater erzählt eine lange erfundene Geschichte aus einem fernen Land.
The grandfather tells a long, invented story from a distant land.
