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literarisch
literary
Relating to literature, written works, or poetry.
example
Sie gewann einen bedeutenden literarischen Preis für ihren Roman.
She won an important literary prize for her novel.
literarisch
literary
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'literarisch' (literary) belongs to the word family of 'die Literatur' (literature). It describes everything that has to do with books, poetry, and the written word as an art form.
EXAMPLE
Er interessiert sich sehr für die deutsche Literatur und für literarische Debatten.
He is very interested in German literature and in literary debates.
Context clue
The word has two closely related meanings. It can refer to the subject of literature, for example 'ein literarischer Wettbewerb' (a literary competition). But it can also describe the artful style of something that is not necessarily literature, for example 'ein literarisch wertvoller Brief' (a letter of literary value).
EXAMPLE
Sie analysiert eine literarische Figur aus einem Roman von Goethe.
She analyzes a literary character from a novel by Goethe.
Typical collocations
Common combinations are 'literarische Gattung' (literary genre, e.g. novel, poem), 'literarische Epoche' (literary period, e.g. Romanticism, Enlightenment), and 'literarische Figur' (literary character).
EXAMPLE
Der Roman ist eine wichtige literarische Gattung des 19. Jahrhunderts.
The novel is an important literary genre of the 19th century.
Compare with
literarisch vs gehoben
elevated / upscale
'literarisch' and 'gehoben' can both describe special, sophisticated language. 'Literarisch' fits when a text feels like literature or poetry: artful, imagery-rich, or carefully shaped in its language. 'Gehoben' generally describes a refined, non-everyday style. This can refer to language, expression, or even behavior. A literary text is often elevated, but not every elevated phrase is literary. For novels, poems, or artistic language, 'literarisch' is usually a better fit; for formal or especially polite language, 'gehoben' is usually a better fit.
literarisch
Der Schluss des Romans ist sehr literarisch geschrieben.
The ending of the novel is written in a very literary style.
gehoben
In der Bewerbung sollte die Sprache höflich und eher gehoben sein.
In the job application, the language should be polite and rather elevated.
In real life
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