main part
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main part
The largest, most important, or central section of something, for example a text, a paper, an event, or a meal.
Nach der Einleitung folgt der Hauptteil des Aufsatzes, in dem die Argumente dargelegt werden.
After the introduction comes the main part of the essay, in which the arguments are presented.
'Hauptteil' (main part) is made up of 'Haupt-' and 'der Teil' (the part). The prefix 'Haupt-' means 'most important' or 'central' and can be combined with many nouns.
Der Hauptbahnhof ist der zentrale Verkehrsknotenpunkt der Stadt.
The main train station is the city's central transport hub.
To say what something is the main part of, German usually uses the genitive or the preposition 'von' with the dative. Both forms are correct and common.
Der Hauptteil des Buches beschreibt die Kindheit des Autors.
The main part of the book describes the author's childhood.
The word 'Hauptteil' (main part) is very often used in connection with structured things such as texts, speeches, or presentations. Typical verbs are 'bilden' (to form), 'bestehen aus' (to consist of), or 'folgen auf' (to follow).
Die Analyse der Daten bildet den Hauptteil meiner Masterarbeit.
The analysis of the data forms the main part of my master's thesis.
core / pit / nucleus
'der Kern' and 'der Hauptteil' can both mean the most important part of something. However, 'der Kern' emphasizes what is essential: the point that really matters. This can also be very short or small, for example 'der Kern eines Problems' (the core of a problem). 'der Hauptteil' is more likely to mean the largest or central section, for example in a text, presentation, or meal. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with being important. A practical guide: when talking about content or a problem, people often say 'Kern'; for a whole that is structured into sections, 'Hauptteil' is more common.
Nach der Einleitung schrieb Frau Becker den Hauptteil ihrer Präsentation.
After the introduction, Mrs. Becker wrote the main part of her presentation.
Im Gespräch kamen wir schnell zum Kern des Problems.
In the conversation, we quickly got to the core of the problem.