overall picture
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overall picture
The complete impression or comprehensive understanding of a situation, topic, or object that results from looking at all the individual parts.
Um das Gesamtbild zu verstehen, müssen wir auch die Vorgeschichte betrachten.
To understand the overall picture, we also have to consider the backstory.
The word is a clear compound of 'gesamt' (whole, total) and 'Bild' (picture). So it literally means 'the whole picture'.
Erst wenn man alle Fakten kennt, ergibt sich ein Gesamtbild.
Only when you know all the facts does an overall picture emerge.
Common phrases are 'sich ein Gesamtbild machen' (to get an overall picture), 'das Gesamtbild betrachten' (to look at the overall picture), or 'zum Gesamtbild beitragen' (to contribute to the overall picture).
Der Detektiv versuchte, sich aus den verschiedenen Hinweisen ein Gesamtbild zu machen.
The detective tried to get an overall picture from the various clues.
'Gesamtbild' (overall picture) is often used with the verb 'ergeben' (to result in / to form) to describe how individual parts form a whole. 'Vervollständigen' (to complete) is also a typical combination.
Diese Information vervollständigt das Gesamtbild der Situation.
This information completes the overall picture of the situation.
The artistic meaning can be recognized from words such as 'Farben' (colors), 'Formen' (shapes), 'Komposition' (composition), 'harmonisch' (harmonious), or 'ästhetisch' (aesthetic).
Die warmen Farben tragen zum harmonischen Gesamtbild des Gemäldes bei.
The warm colors contribute to the harmonious overall picture of the painting.
picture / image
'das Bild' and 'das Gesamtbild' can both have to do with an impression or an idea. 'Bild' can mean a single impression, for example what you think or see about a situation. 'Gesamtbild' means the impression that arises when you look at all the parts together. So it is not about one single detail, but about the whole. Learners may confuse the words because in both cases you are judging something. If you only mean an impression, 'Bild' is enough; if all the information together is important, 'Gesamtbild' is more precise.
Beim Termin erklärt mein Kollege, wie die einzelnen Zahlen zum Gesamtbild passen.
At the appointment, my colleague explains how the individual figures fit into the overall picture.
Nach dem Gespräch kann ich mir ein besseres Bild von der Lage machen.
After the conversation, I can get a better picture of the situation.