criticism / review
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criticism
The expression of a negative opinion or a reprimand about someone or something. It points out mistakes or weaknesses.
Nach seiner Rede erntete der Politiker viel Kritik.
After his speech, the politician received a lot of criticism.
review
An expert, analytical assessment and discussion of a work, for example a book, film, or play.
Die Kritik in der Zeitung hat den Film als Meisterwerk gelobt.
The review in the newspaper praised the film as a masterpiece.
critics
Metonymically refers to critics or reviewers as a group.
Der Film fiel bei der Kritik komplett durch.
The film completely flopped with the critics.
'Die Kritik' means 'criticism' or 'review'. A person who criticizes is 'der Kritiker' (male critic) or 'die Kritikerin' (female critic). Don't confuse 'Kritik' with the English word 'critic' (a person).
Der Autor hat auf die Kritik an seinem Buch geantwortet.
The author responded to the criticism of his book.
'Die Kritik' is the noun corresponding to the verb 'kritisieren' (to criticize) and the adjective 'kritisch' (critical). All three words refer to judging or evaluating something.
Es ist nicht immer einfach, eine Person konstruktiv zu kritisieren.
It is not always easy to criticize a person constructively.
When saying what one is criticizing, German uses the preposition 'an' with the dative. A very common phrase is 'Kritik an etwas üben' (to criticize something / to level criticism at something).
Die Opposition übte scharfe Kritik an der Regierung.
The opposition leveled sharp criticism at the government.
To describe the kind of negative statement, 'Kritik' is often combined with adjectives such as 'scharf' (sharp), 'heftig' (strong), 'berechtigt' (justified), or 'unberechtigt' (unjustified). A positive form is 'konstruktive Kritik' (constructive criticism).
Der Plan stieß auf heftige Kritik von den Anwohnern.
The plan met with strong criticism from the residents.
In the context of art and media (film, books, theater, music), 'Kritik' means a review or critique. It can be positive ('lobende Kritik' = praising review) or negative ('vernichtende Kritik' = devastating review).
Ich lese immer erst die Kritiken, bevor ich mir einen Film ansehe.
I always read the reviews first before I watch a film.
'Die Kritik' can also refer to the whole body of professional critics. In this case, it is used like a collective term for a group of people, often with the preposition 'bei'.
Der neue Roman kam bei der Kritik sehr gut an.
The new novel was very well received by the critics.
attack
Kritik identifies errors or weaknesses and can be intended objectively. In this context, an Angriff is especially sharp criticism intended to harm or discredit someone or something. Kritik is appropriate for a justified objection; use Angriff for a deliberately harmful statement.
Die Kritik der Journalistin benennt sachlich drei Schwächen des neuen Plans.
The journalist’s criticism objectively points out three weaknesses in the new plan.
Der Angriff der Journalistin soll den Verfasser des neuen Plans öffentlich diskreditieren.
The journalist’s attack is intended to publicly discredit the author of the new plan.
