column
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column
An article that appears regularly in a newspaper or magazine, in which an author expresses their personal opinion on a particular topic.
Ich lese jeden Samstag ihre Kolumne über politische Ereignisse.
I read her column about political events every Saturday.
column
In printing and typography, a vertical block of text on a page; a column.
Der Artikel ist in zwei Kolumnen gesetzt, um die Lesbarkeit zu verbessern.
The article is set in two columns to improve readability.
You can recognize the meaning from the verb: if someone 'schreibt' (writes) or 'liest' (reads) a 'Kolumne' (column), it means the opinion article. If text is 'in Kolumnen gesetzt' (set in columns) or 'angeordnet' (arranged), it means the text column.
Er schreibt eine wöchentliche Kolumne für eine große Tageszeitung.
He writes a weekly column for a major daily newspaper.
When referring to the newspaper article, typical combinations are: to 'schreiben' (write), 'lesen' (read), or 'veröffentlichen' (publish) a 'Kolumne' (column). It is often described more precisely with an adjective such as 'politisch' (political) or 'persönlich' (personal).
Ihre persönliche Kolumne erscheint jeden Freitag.
Her personal column appears every Friday.
The meaning 'Textspalte' (text column) belongs to the technical language of printing, typography, and graphic design. In everyday life, this usage is less common.
Bitte formatiere den Text in zwei gleich breiten Kolumnen.
Please format the text in two columns of equal width.
comment
Kommentar and Kolumne can both contain personal opinions in a newspaper. A Kommentar is a reasoned opinion on a current event. A Kolumne, by contrast, is an article that appears regularly and is usually associated with a particular author. The key question is therefore whether the text is part of a regular format.
Die Redakteurin schreibt jeden Freitag eine Kolumne über Entscheidungen des Stadtrats.
The editor writes a column every Friday about the city council's decisions.
Die Redakteurin schreibt einen Kommentar zur aktuellen Entscheidung des Stadtrats.
The editor writes a commentary on the city council's current decision.
