German studies
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German studies
The academic field that deals with the German language and German-language literature in their historical and present-day forms.
Sie studiert Germanistik und Geschichte an der Universität Heidelberg.
She is studying German studies and history at Heidelberg University.
The ending '-istik' often refers to a science or field of study. 'Germanistik' is therefore the study of the 'Germanic,' specifically the German language and literature.
Andere Studienfächer mit dieser Endung sind Anglistik, Romanistik oder Linguistik.
Other university subjects with this ending are English studies, Romance studies, or linguistics.
The most common and important combination with this word is 'Germanistik studieren' (to study German studies). It is mostly used in the context of university and education.
Mein Bruder hat an der Universität zu Köln Germanistik studiert.
My brother studied German studies at the University of Cologne.
The subject German studies is typically divided into three areas: modern German literature, medieval studies (language and literature of the Middle Ages), and linguistics.
Im Studium der Germanistik muss man sowohl alte Texte lesen als auch moderne Grammatik analysieren.
When studying German studies, you have to read both old texts and analyze modern grammar.
German
'das Deutsch' and 'die Germanistik' both deal with the German language. 'Deutsch' means either the language itself or the school subject. 'Germanistik' means an academic field, usually at university, in which the German language and German-language literature are studied in more detail. Learners may confuse the words because both occur in the area of language and literature. For everyday life, school, and language learning, you usually say 'Deutsch'. For university study or research, you say 'Germanistik'.
Für die Bewerbung beschreibt sie, warum sie Germanistik studieren möchte.
For the application, she describes why she would like to study German studies.
Vor dem Termin übt er zur Sicherheit noch etwas Deutsch.
Before the appointment, he practices a little more German just to be safe.