biography
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biography
A book or text that describes a person's life and was written by someone else.
Ich lese gerade eine faszinierende Biografie über Albert Einstein.
I'm currently reading a fascinating biography of Albert Einstein.
The word comes from Greek: 'bios' means 'life' and 'graphein' means 'to write'. A Biografie is therefore literally a 'Lebensbeschreibung' (description of a life).
Für ihr Studium musste sie eine kurze Biografie über eine historische Persönlichkeit schreiben.
For her studies, she had to write a short biography of a historical figure.
The verb used helps distinguish the meanings. Verbs like 'lesen' (to read), 'schreiben' (to write), or 'veröffentlichen' (to publish) refer to the book. Phrases like 'eine Biografie haben' (to have a biography / life story) or 'in seiner Biografie' (in his biography / life story) refer to the life history.
Er hat eine spannende Biografie über Marie Curie gelesen.
He read an exciting biography of Marie Curie.
When referring to the book, typical verbs are 'eine Biografie schreiben' (to write a biography), 'eine Biografie lesen' (to read a biography), or 'eine Biografie veröffentlichen' (to publish a biography).
Der Autor arbeitet seit fünf Jahren an einer neuen Biografie.
The author has been working on a new biography for five years.
past
'die Vergangenheit' and 'die Biografie' can both have to do with a person's earlier life. However, 'Vergangenheit' only means what happened earlier, often without a precise order. 'Biografie' means a person's life story as a whole, or a text about it. That is why 'Biografie' sounds more organized and complete. Learners may confuse the words when talking about a person's life. If you are talking about individual past experiences, 'Vergangenheit' fits. If you are describing someone's whole life or résumé, 'Biografie' is more precise.
Die Biografie der Ärztin zeigt, wie viele Jahre sie im Ausland gearbeitet hat.
The doctor's biography shows how many years she worked abroad.
Bei der Bewerbung spricht der Kunde offen über seine berufliche Vergangenheit.
During the job application process, the client speaks openly about his professional past.