irony
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irony
A type of communication in which you say the opposite of what you actually mean. This is often done to create a humorous or critical effect.
„Du bist ja ein echter Held“, sagte sie mit feiner Ironie, als er die Spinne an der Wand sah und schrie.
'You're a real hero,' she said with subtle irony when he saw the spider on the wall and screamed.
When you want to describe how someone says something ironically, you often use the preposition 'mit' (with). Typical phrases are 'etwas mit Ironie sagen' (to say something with irony) or 'mit einem Hauch von Ironie' (with a touch of irony).
„Das hast du ja super gemacht“, sagte er mit deutlicher Ironie in der Stimme.
'You did a great job there,' he said with clear irony in his voice.
The second meaning occurs almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'die Ironie des Schicksals' (the irony of fate). This describes a paradoxical or unexpected coincidence.
Es ist die reinste Ironie des Schicksals, dass der Erfinder des sichersten Schlosses seinen Schlüssel verlor.
It is the purest irony of fate that the inventor of the safest lock lost his key.
The adjective for 'die Ironie' (irony) is 'ironisch' (ironic). So you can say 'Das war Ironie' (That was irony) or 'Das war ironisch gemeint' (That was meant ironically).
Seine ironische Bemerkung verstand nicht jeder.
Not everyone understood his ironic remark.
chance / coincidence
'der Zufall' and 'die Ironie' can both have to do with unexpected events. 'Zufall' simply means that something happens without a plan or intention. In this connection, 'Ironie' often refers to a special kind of coincidence that seems almost mocking because the outcome is exactly the opposite of what was expected. Learners may confuse the words because people sometimes speak of an 'Ironie des Schicksals' (irony of fate). But not every coincidence is irony. 'Zufall' is neutral; 'Ironie' only fits when the coincidence involves a striking contrast or a surprising twist.
Die Ironie des Schicksals ist, dass der Busfahrer selbst den letzten Bus verpasst hat.
The irony of fate is that the bus driver himself missed the last bus.
Es war Zufall, dass ich meinen alten Freund im Krankenhaus getroffen habe.
It was a coincidence that I met my old friend in the hospital.