01
die Gattung
genre
A category or genre in art, music, or literature that is defined by certain stylistic or content-related features.
example
Die Novelle ist eine literarische Gattung der Epik.
The novella is a literary genre of epic prose.
die Gattung
genre / genus
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
You can almost always recognize the meaning of 'Gattung' from context. Words like 'Literatur' (literature), 'Film' (film), or 'Musik' (music) point to a genre. Terms like 'Art' (species), 'Tier' (animal), or 'Pflanze' (plant) indicate the biological meaning.
EXAMPLE
Der Kriminalroman ist eine sehr beliebte literarische Gattung.
The crime novel is a very popular literary genre.
Register
'Gattung' is a rather formal and technical term. It is used mainly in academic, scientific, or classificatory contexts.
EXAMPLE
In der Vorlesung analysierten wir verschiedene Gattungen der Malerei.
In the lecture, we analyzed different genres of painting.
Typical collocations
In an artistic context, 'Gattung' is often combined with an adjective that specifies the field. Common combinations are 'literarische Gattung' (literary genre), 'musikalische Gattung' (musical genre), or 'filmische Gattung' (film genre).
EXAMPLE
Die Fuge ist eine komplexe musikalische Gattung.
The fugue is a complex musical genre.
Sentence structure in biology
In biology, the preposition 'zur' is often used to express belonging to a genus. The pattern is: '[Art] gehört zur Gattung [Name]' ([species] belongs to the genus [name]).
EXAMPLE
Der Mensch gehört zur Gattung Homo.
Humans belong to the genus Homo.
Compare with
Gattung vs Art
kind / way
'die Art' and 'die Gattung' both have to do with categories. In everyday language, 'Art' is a very general word for a kind or type. In biology, an 'Art' is a specific group of living beings. 'Gattung' sounds more technical. In biology, the genus is above the species, so it includes one or more related species. In art, music, or literature, 'Gattung' can also mean a genre or a larger category. The words are especially easy to confuse when talking about animals and plants: an 'Art' is more specific, while a 'Gattung' is the larger group.
Gattung
Der Lehrer erklärt, dass mehrere ähnliche Arten zu einer Gattung gehören können.
The teacher explains that several similar species can belong to one genus.
Art
Diese Art von Vogel lebt vor allem in feuchten Wäldern.
This species of bird lives mainly in damp forests.
In real life
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