01
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
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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 lang
long
'lang' and 'kurz' are opposites when it comes to length or duration. You use 'lang' when something has a lot of spatial length or lasts a long time. You use 'kurz' when something has little length or lasts only a short time. So both words can be used with things like routes, hair, texts, conversations, or films. The context is important: a 'langer Brief' (long letter) has a lot of text, while a 'kurzer Besuch' (brief visit) does not last long.
kurz
Vor der Reise schreibt Tom nur eine kurze Nachricht an seine Eltern.
Before the trip, Tom writes only a short message to his parents.
lang
Nach dem Unterricht wartet Lena auf den langen Bus nach Hause.
After class, Lena waits for the long bus ride home.
In real life
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