esprit
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wit / esprit
A witty, lively, and clever way of thinking and expressing oneself. It describes a person or thing marked by intelligence and charm.
Seine Reden hatten immer viel Esprit und Humor.
His speeches always had a lot of wit and humor.
'Esprit' is a loanword from French and is used in German to describe a witty and charming manner. It belongs to an elevated, rather formal style of language.
Die Moderatorin führte mit viel Esprit durch den Abend.
The host guided the audience through the evening with great wit.
As an uncountable noun, 'Esprit' is often used without an article, especially after verbs like 'haben' (to have) or 'besitzen' (to possess).
Sein Vortrag hatte Witz und Esprit.
His lecture had wit and esprit.
'Esprit' is often combined with the verbs 'haben' (to have), 'besitzen' (to possess), or 'zeigen' (to show). You can also say that someone or something is 'voller Esprit' (full of esprit).
Sie hat bei der Diskussion ihren ganzen Esprit gezeigt.
She showed all her wit in the discussion.
joke
A Witz is a single humorous story with a punchline. Esprit, by contrast, refers to a witty, lively, and charming way of thinking and expressing oneself. So a speech can contain a Witz, while its overall style shows Esprit.
Die Rednerin begeistert das Publikum während der ganzen Rede mit ihrem Esprit.
Throughout the speech, the speaker delights the audience with her esprit.
Die Rednerin beginnt ihre Rede mit einem kurzen Witz über den langen Abend.
The speaker begins her speech with a short joke about the long evening.
