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christlich
Christian
Relating to Christianity, its teachings, its culture, or its followers.
example
Ostern ist einer der wichtigsten christlichen Feiertage.
Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays.
christlich
Christian
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'christlich' (Christian) is derived from the noun 'der Christ' (a Christian person) and 'das Christentum' (Christianity). All words in the family refer to the same origin.
EXAMPLE
Die christliche Lehre basiert auf der Bibel.
Christian teaching is based on the Bible.
Word formation with '-lich'
The ending '-lich' is a typical German ending used to form adjectives from nouns. It often means 'in the manner of' or 'related to'.
EXAMPLE
Das Suffix '-lich' bildet auch Adjektive wie 'freundlich' oder 'täglich'.
The suffix '-lich' also forms adjectives like 'freundlich' (friendly) or 'täglich' (daily).
Typical collocations
In its descriptive meaning, 'christlich' (Christian) is often connected with culture and society: 'christliche Werte' (Christian values), 'christliche Kirchen' (Christian churches), or 'christliche Traditionen' (Christian traditions).
EXAMPLE
In Deutschland gibt es viele christliche Feiertage wie Weihnachten und Ostern.
In Germany, there are many Christian holidays, such as Christmas and Easter.
Moral meaning
When 'christlich' (Christian) describes behavior or a quality, it has a moral meaning. It then means that something corresponds to the positive values of Christianity, such as charity.
EXAMPLE
Sein Handeln war von christlicher Nächstenliebe geprägt.
His actions were shaped by Christian charity.
Compare with
christlich vs katholisch
Catholic
'katholisch' and 'christlich' belong to the same topic area, religion, but they are not the same. 'christlich' is the general term for anything that has to do with Christianity. 'katholisch' is more specific and refers to the Roman Catholic Church. Learners may confuse the words because Catholic people are also Christian. But not everything Christian is Catholic, since there are also Protestant Christians, for example.
christlich
In der Stadt gibt es mehrere christliche Gemeinden mit unterschiedlichen Traditionen.
There are several Christian congregations in the city with different traditions.
katholisch
Tim wurde in einer katholischen Kirche getauft.
Tim was baptized in a Catholic church.
In real life
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