die Kürze
brevity
The quality of being short in duration or length; the conciseness of a presentation or statement.
EXAMPLE
Das Sprichwort sagt: In der Kürze liegt die Würze.
The proverb says: Brevity is the soul of wit.
die Kürze
brevity / shortly
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Meanings
in Kürze
shortly
A fixed expression that means 'soon' or 'in the near future.'
EXAMPLE
Der Film beginnt in Kürze, wir sollten unsere Plätze einnehmen.
The film begins shortly; we should take our seats.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Die Kürze' (brevity/shortness) is a noun derived from the adjective 'kurz' (short). Many German nouns that describe a quality are formed from adjectives in this way, e.g. lang → die Länge (long → length), groß → die Größe (big → size).
EXAMPLE
Die Kürze des Tages im Winter kann deprimierend sein.
The shortness of the day in winter can be depressing.
Fixed expression
There is a well-known German proverb: 'In der Kürze liegt die Würze.' It means that short and concise statements are often better than long explanations.
EXAMPLE
Deine Präsentation war super. In der Kürze liegt die Würze!
Your presentation was great. Brevity is the soul of wit!
Sentence structure
The expression 'in Kürze' (shortly) functions like a time adverb. It can stand at the beginning of the sentence (then the verb follows in position 2) or in the middle of the sentence, usually after the verb.
EXAMPLE
In Kürze werden die Ergebnisse bekannt gegeben.
The results will be announced shortly.
Register
The expression 'in Kürze' (shortly) is often used in official announcements or in written contexts. You often find it on signs, in emails, or in announcements.
EXAMPLE
Sehr geehrte Fahrgäste, unser Zug erreicht in Kürze den Hauptbahnhof.
Dear passengers, our train will shortly arrive at the central station.
Compare with
Kürze vs bald
soon / almost
“Bald” and “in Kürze” both say that an action will take place in the near future. “Bald” is the unmarked everyday word, while “in Kürze” is a fixed, somewhat formal expression. “Bald” is usually the better choice in a normal personal message; “in Kürze” also works in a more formal announcement.
Kürze
Die Verwaltung teilt mit, dass die Ergebnisse in Kürze per E-Mail verschickt werden.
The administration announces that the results will be sent by email shortly.
bald
Wir schicken dir die Fotos bald per E-Mail.
We’ll email you the photos soon.
In real life
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