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faszinierend
fascinating
Exerting a very strong attraction or interest; captivating and exciting.
example
Die Dokumentation über die Tiefsee war absolut faszinierend.
The documentary about the deep sea was absolutely fascinating.
faszinierend
fascinating
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Meanings
Usage tips
Participle as adjective
'Faszinierend' (fascinating) is the present participle of the verb 'faszinieren' (to fascinate). Many present participles can be used like adjectives and describe an ongoing quality or action.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe ein faszinierendes Buch über die Geschichte Ägyptens gelesen.
I read a fascinating book about the history of Egypt.
Word family
This adjective belongs to the word family around the verb 'faszinieren' (to fascinate) and the noun 'die Faszination' (fascination). If you know one word, you can often understand the others more easily.
EXAMPLE
Die Geschichte war so faszinierend, dass meine Faszination mit jeder Seite wuchs.
The story was so fascinating that my fascination grew with every page.
Use as an adverb
'Faszinierend' (fascinating) can not only describe a noun, but can also be used as an adverb to modify a verb. It then means 'in a fascinating way.'
EXAMPLE
Der Professor kann sehr faszinierend über sein Fachgebiet erzählen.
The professor can talk about his field in a very fascinating way.
Typical collocations
'Faszinierend' (fascinating) is often used to describe complex or impressive things. Typical combinations are 'eine faszinierende Idee' (a fascinating idea), 'eine faszinierende Persönlichkeit' (a fascinating personality), or 'ein faszinierendes Phänomen' (a fascinating phenomenon).
EXAMPLE
Er gilt als eine der faszinierendsten Persönlichkeiten unserer Zeit.
He is considered one of the most fascinating personalities of our time.
Compare with
faszinierend vs interessant
interesting
'interessant' and 'faszinierend' both describe something that attracts attention. 'interessant' is more neutral and fits many topics that you want to know more about. 'faszinierend' is stronger: something really captivates or excites you. The words can be confused because both sound positive. If something is simply worth knowing about or not boring, 'interessant' is enough. If you are very impressed and can hardly look away or stop listening, 'faszinierend' fits better.
faszinierend
Am Abend sahen wir einen faszinierenden Film über das Leben im Meer.
In the evening, we watched a fascinating film about life in the sea.
interessant
Im Unterricht hören wir heute einen interessanten Bericht über Berlin.
In class today, we are listening to an interesting report about Berlin.
In real life
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