kennzeichnend
characteristic
Serving as a characteristic, typical, or essential feature of someone or something.
EXAMPLE
Seine ruhige und besonnene Art ist kennzeichnend für ihn.
His calm and level-headed manner is characteristic of him.
kennzeichnend
characteristic
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
'Kennzeichnend' (characteristic) is the present participle of the verb 'kennzeichnen' (to characterize / mark). It functions like an adjective and describes a quality that distinguishes something or someone.
EXAMPLE
Ein kennzeichnendes Merkmal dieser Architektur ist die Verwendung von viel Glas.
A characteristic feature of this architecture is the use of a lot of glass.
Sentence structure with 'für'
'Kennzeichnend' (characteristic) is very often used with the preposition 'für' and the accusative. The structure is: Etwas ist kennzeichnend für jemanden/etwas (Something is characteristic of someone/something).
EXAMPLE
Diese schnelle Auffassungsgabe ist kennzeichnend für sie.
This quick grasp of things is characteristic of her.
Typical collocations
When 'kennzeichnend' (characteristic) comes before a noun, it is often combined with words like 'Merkmal' (feature), 'Eigenschaft' (quality), or 'Besonderheit' (special characteristic).
EXAMPLE
Das Fehlen von Fenstern ist eine kennzeichnende Eigenschaft dieses Gebäudes.
The lack of windows is a characteristic quality of this building.
Compare with
kennzeichnend vs typisch
typical
Typisch describes a feature as expected for a person or group. Kennzeichnend places greater emphasis on the fact that the feature characterizes them and can serve as a distinguishing mark. Both words are often possible; use „typisch“ for expected belonging and „kennzeichnend“ for clear characterization.
kennzeichnend
Seine ruhige Art ist kennzeichnend für ihn.
His calm manner is characteristic of him.
typisch
Seine ruhige Art ist typisch für ihn.
His calm manner is typical of him.
In real life
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