life's work
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life's work
The entirety of the significant works and achievements that a person has created over the course of their life, especially in a professional or creative field.
Das Museum widmet dem Lebenswerk des Architekten eine umfassende Retrospektive.
The museum is dedicating a comprehensive retrospective to the architect's life's work.
The word is made up of 'das Leben' (life), the linking element '-s-', and 'das Werk' (work). So it literally means 'the work of a life'.
Er betrachtete den Aufbau seiner Firma als sein Lebenswerk.
He regarded building his company as his life's work.
'Lebenswerk' (life's work) is often used with a possessive pronoun ('sein/ihr Lebenswerk' — his/her life's work) or a genitive ('das Lebenswerk eines Künstlers' — the life's work of an artist). Typical verbs are 'vollenden' (to complete), 'schaffen' (to create), or 'zerstören' (to destroy).
Die Ausstellung zeigt das beeindruckende Lebenswerk der Malerin.
The exhibition shows the painter's impressive life's work.
'Lebenswerk' (life's work) is a word with an elevated, respectful style. It is not used for everyday work, but for a person's entire significant achievement, often in the fields of art, science, or entrepreneurship.
Die Forschung des Nobelpreisträgers gilt als sein Lebenswerk.
The Nobel Prize winner's research is considered his life's work.
to manage / create
Schaffen means creatively producing works and can also refer to a limited period of time. Das Lebenswerk, by contrast, is the significant body of a person's work from their entire life. Use schaffen for a single new work and das Lebenswerk for a person's long-term overall achievement.
Das Lebenswerk der Malerin umfasst viele Bilder aus ihrem ganzen Leben.
The painter's life's work includes many pictures from throughout her life.
Die Malerin schuf in diesem Jahr ein neues Bild.
The painter created a new picture this year.
