short story
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short story
A short narrative work of prose that often focuses on a single, decisive episode from a character's life and usually has an open ending.
Im Deutschunterricht haben wir eine Kurzgeschichte von Wolfgang Borchert analysiert.
In German class, we analyzed a short story by Wolfgang Borchert.
The word is very logically structured: it consists of the adjective 'kurz' (short) and the noun 'die Geschichte' (story). A 'Kurzgeschichte' (short story) is therefore literally a 'kurze Geschichte' (short story).
Er liest gerne Kurzgeschichten, weil er nicht so viel Zeit hat.
He likes reading short stories because he doesn't have that much time.
As a literary text, 'Kurzgeschichte' (short story) is often used with verbs such as 'lesen' (to read), 'schreiben' (to write), 'analysieren' (to analyze), or 'interpretieren' (to interpret). These combinations are especially common in a school context.
Die Schüler müssen eine Kurzgeschichte interpretieren.
The students have to interpret a short story.
As a literary genre, the short story often has typical features. These include a direct entry into the action without a long introduction and an open ending that encourages the reader to think.
Das offene Ende dieser Kurzgeschichte hat mich sehr beschäftigt.
The open ending of this short story really stayed with me.
story / history
'die Geschichte' and 'die Kurzgeschichte' both belong to storytelling. But 'Geschichte' is a very general word: it can be a story told in everyday life, in a book, or for children. 'Kurzgeschichte' is more specific and means a particular literary form. It is short, often focuses on one important moment, and sometimes has an open ending. Learners may confuse the words because a short story is, of course, also a story. But not every story is a 'Kurzgeschichte'. For everyday stories, people usually say 'Geschichte'. In class or in literature, 'Kurzgeschichte' fits better.
In der Bibliothek sucht ihr heute eine Kurzgeschichte für den Deutschkurs.
In the library today, you are looking for a short story for German class.
In der Pause erzählt Paul eine Geschichte über seine Reise nach Italien.
During the break, Paul tells a story about his trip to Italy.