kurz
short
Describes something of small spatial length or extent. The opposite of 'lang' (long).
EXAMPLE
Im Sommer trage ich gerne kurze Hosen.
In summer, I like wearing short pants.
kurz
short / brief
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Meanings
kurz
brief
Describes something of short duration in time. The opposite of 'lang' (long).
EXAMPLE
Ich mache nur eine kurze Pause und arbeite dann weiter.
I’m just taking a brief break and then I’ll keep working.
kurz vor/nach
shortly before/after
Indicates that something takes place a short time before or after a specific point in time or event.
EXAMPLE
Er rief kurz vor Mitternacht an.
He called shortly before midnight.
in Kürze
shortly
Means “soon” or “in the near future.”
EXAMPLE
Der Film beginnt in Kürze.
The film will begin shortly.
kurz und bündig
brief and to the point
Describes a statement or explanation that is concise and limited to the essentials.
EXAMPLE
Er erklärte die Regeln kurz und bündig.
He explained the rules briefly and to the point.
zu kurz kommen
to be neglected
Means that someone or something is neglected or does not receive the share or attention that they or it deserves.
EXAMPLE
Bei der ganzen Arbeit kommt die Freizeit oft zu kurz.
With all the work, free time is often neglected.
kurz angebunden sein
to be curt
Describes a person who answers very briefly and tersely, often because they are busy or in a bad mood.
EXAMPLE
Entschuldige, dass ich am Telefon so kurz angebunden war, ich hatte großen Stress.
Sorry I was so curt on the phone; I was under a lot of stress.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'kurz' (short/brief) belongs to a word family. Related words are the verb 'kürzen' (to shorten something) and the noun 'die Kürze' (the quality of being short).
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte den Text ein wenig kürzen?
Can you please shorten the text a little?
As an adverb
'Kurz' can be used as an adverb without changing form. It then means “for a short time” and modifies a verb.
EXAMPLE
Warte bitte, ich muss kurz telefonieren.
Please wait; I need to make a quick phone call.
Context clue: time or place
Whether 'kurz' describes spatial length or duration in time can be recognized from the noun it accompanies. A 'kurzer Weg' (short route) refers to distance, while a 'kurze Pause' (brief break) refers to time.
EXAMPLE
Zum Glück war es nur ein kurzer Weg bis zum Bahnhof.
Fortunately, it was only a short walk to the train station.
Typical collocations (time)
When referring to time, 'kurz' (brief/short) is frequently combined with nouns such as 'Moment' (moment), 'Augenblick' (instant), 'Gespräch' (conversation), or 'Pause' (break).
EXAMPLE
Haben Sie einen kurzen Moment Zeit für mich?
Do you have a brief moment for me?
Use with prepositions
'Kurz' is often placed directly before temporal prepositions such as 'vor' (before), 'nach' (after), or 'seit' (since). It emphasizes that the time interval is very small.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind kurz nach dem Regen angekommen.
We arrived shortly after the rain.
Fixed expression
The expression 'in Kürze' is a fixed phrase and a more formal way of saying “soon.” Here, the noun form 'Kürze' is used.
EXAMPLE
Die Ergebnisse der Prüfung werden in Kürze bekannt gegeben.
The exam results will be announced shortly.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'zu kurz kommen' means that a person or thing is neglected or does not get enough attention. The subject is the person or thing that is being neglected.
EXAMPLE
Bei all dem Stress kommt der Schlaf oft zu kurz.
With all the stress, sleep is often neglected.
Fixed expression
When a person 'kurz angebunden ist', they answer very briefly and tersely. This often indicates stress, hurry, or a bad mood.
EXAMPLE
Er war am Telefon sehr kurz angebunden und hat schnell aufgelegt.
He was very curt on the phone and quickly hung up.
Compare with
kurz vs klein
small
Both words describe something that is small in some respect, but „kurz“ refers to length, while „klein“ refers to overall size. „Klein“ is the right choice for a person's height. Use „kurz“ instead for a limited length, for example with clothing or objects.
kurz
Die Hose ist für Tim zu kurz.
The pants are too short for Tim.
klein
Tim ist für sein Alter noch ziemlich klein.
Tim is still quite small for his age.
In real life
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