documentary / documentation
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documentary
A colloquial short form of 'die Dokumentation' (the documentary/documentation), usually meaning a film or TV program that presents real events or facts.
Gestern Abend lief eine spannende Doku über das Leben in der Tiefsee.
Yesterday evening there was an exciting documentary about life in the deep sea.
'Doku' is a colloquial abbreviation of the word 'Dokumentation' (documentary/documentation). In formal or written contexts, you should use the full form.
Lass uns heute Abend eine Doku schauen.
Let's watch a documentary tonight.
Whether a film or a text is meant can be recognized from the verb and the topic. Verbs like 'sehen' (to see/watch) or 'schauen' (to watch) point to a film. Verbs like 'lesen' (to read) or 'schreiben' (to write) point to written documents.
Ich habe gestern eine interessante Doku über Ägypten gesehen.
I watched an interesting documentary about Egypt yesterday.
When a film is meant, 'Doku' is often used with verbs like 'sehen' (to see/watch), 'schauen' (to watch), 'laufen' (to be on TV), or 'drehen' (to shoot/produce).
Auf diesem Kanal laufen oft gute Dokus über die Natur.
Good documentaries about nature are often on this channel.
report
'der Bericht' and 'die Doku' can both present real information or events. A report is usually a factual text or oral piece of information, for example at work, at school, or in the news. 'Doku' is colloquial and often means a film or TV program about a real topic. At work, 'Doku' can also be a short form for technical or written documentation. The words can be confused because both contain facts. 'Bericht' sounds neutral and more formal, while 'Doku' sounds more casual and often fits film, television, or technical documents.
Nach der Arbeit sehe ich eine Doku über das Leben im Meer.
After work, I watch a documentary about life in the sea.
Der Bericht der Gruppe fasst die Ergebnisse der Umfrage zusammen.
The group's report summarizes the results of the survey.