01
imaginär
imaginary
Existing only in the imagination or fantasy; not real.
example
Als Kind hatte ich einen imaginären Freund, mit dem ich immer gesprochen habe.
As a child, I had an imaginary friend whom I always talked to.
imaginär
imaginary
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The word 'imaginär' (imaginary) is closely related to the noun 'die Imagination' (imagination). Both words have their origin in the Latin word for 'image' or 'idea.'
EXAMPLE
Die Geschichte spielt in einer imaginären Welt voller Magie.
The story takes place in an imaginary world full of magic.
Typical collocations
In general usage, 'imaginär' (imaginary) is often used to describe things that exist only in the imagination. Typical combinations are 'ein imaginärer Freund' (an imaginary friend), 'eine imaginäre Welt' (an imaginary world), or 'eine imaginäre Linie' (an imaginary line).
EXAMPLE
Viele Kinder haben einen imaginären Spielkameraden.
Many children have an imaginary playmate.
Context clue
You can recognize the mathematical meaning from technical terms such as 'Zahl' (number), 'Einheit' (unit), or 'Teil' (part). Without this context, the general meaning 'existing only in fantasy' is almost always meant.
EXAMPLE
Die imaginäre Einheit 'i' ist die Wurzel aus -1.
The imaginary unit 'i' is the root of -1.
Technical language
This meaning of 'imaginär' (imaginary) belongs exclusively to the technical language of mathematics. It is not used in everyday language.
EXAMPLE
Im Mathematikunterricht haben wir über imaginäre Zahlen gesprochen.
In math class, we talked about imaginary numbers.
Compare with
imaginär vs wirklich
really
'wirklich' and 'imaginär' form a contrast when it is about whether something is real. 'wirklich' means that something truly exists or actually happens. 'imaginär' means that something exists only in the imagination or fantasy. 'imaginär' often sounds a bit more elevated or objective than 'ausgedacht' (made-up) and works well for people, places, or situations in thoughts and stories.
imaginär
Für ihre Geschichte hat Lena eine imaginäre Stadt erfunden.
For her story, Lena invented an imaginary city.
wirklich
Die Gefahr war wirklich, deshalb sind die Gäste sofort gegangen.
The danger was real, so the guests left immediately.
In real life
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