hero
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hero
A person who is admired for their courage, extraordinary deeds, or noble qualities. Often the positive main character in a story, film, or real-life event.
Der Feuerwehrmann wurde als Held gefeiert, nachdem er das Kind aus dem brennenden Haus gerettet hatte.
The firefighter was celebrated as a hero after he rescued the child from the burning house.
'Der Held' (the hero) belongs to the N-declension. This means that the noun takes the ending '-en' in all cases except the nominative singular. This is a common source of mistakes.
Die Geschichte handelt von einem jungen Helden.
The story is about a young hero.
Colloquially, 'Held' (hero) is often used ironically for someone who has done something clumsy or stupid. The sentence 'Du bist mir ja ein Held!' (Aren't you a real hero!) is typical.
Du hast den Zug verpasst? Na, du bist ja ein Held.
You missed the train? Well, aren't you a real hero.
When a person is admired for their actions, they are often 'als Held gefeiert' (celebrated as a hero) or 'wird zum Held' (becomes a hero). The adjective 'wahr' (true) is often used for emphasis: 'ein wahrer Held' (a true hero).
Der Mann, der das Kind rettete, wurde in den Nachrichten zum Held des Tages.
The man who saved the child became the hero of the day in the news.
When talking about books, films, or plays, 'der Held' (the hero) refers to the main character (the protagonist) of the story. Pay attention to signal words like 'Roman' (novel), 'Film' (film), or 'Charakter' (character).
Der Held des Romans muss sich am Ende zwischen Liebe und Pflicht entscheiden.
The hero of the novel has to choose between love and duty in the end.
role model / model
'das Vorbild' and 'der Held' can both describe a person you admire. 'Vorbild' is used when you want to use someone as a guide because their behavior or achievement is good. 'Held' sounds stronger and fits when someone acts bravely, achieves something special, or is the admired main character in a story. The words can be confused because a hero can also be a role model. But a role model does not have to be a hero; often it is simply a person you want to learn from.
Nach der Rettung des Kindes wurde der Feuerwehrmann als Held gefeiert.
After rescuing the child, the firefighter was celebrated as a hero.
Mein Vater ist für mich ein Vorbild, weil er immer ruhig und ehrlich bleibt.
My father is a role model for me because he always stays calm and honest.