die Nachahmung
imitation
The process in which the behavior, appearance, or work of another person or thing is copied.
EXAMPLE
Kinder lernen oft durch die Nachahmung ihrer Eltern.
Children often learn through the imitation of their parents.
die Nachahmung
imitation
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Meanings
die Nachahmung
imitation / copy
A product modeled on an original, but often of lower quality; a fake or copy.
EXAMPLE
Diese Uhr ist keine echte Rolex, sondern nur eine gute Nachahmung.
This watch is not a real Rolex, but just a good imitation.
Usage tips
Word family
The word is derived from the separable verb 'nachahmen' (to imitate). The ending '-ung' turns the verb into a feminine noun that describes the process or result of the action.
EXAMPLE
Er versucht, den Stil seines Lieblingskünstlers nachzuahmen.
He is trying to imitate the style of his favorite artist.
Sentence structure
To express what is being imitated, German usually uses the genitive or the preposition 'von' with the dative. The genitive is somewhat more formal.
EXAMPLE
Seine Geste war eine Nachahmung seines Vaters.
His gesture was an imitation of his father.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context: if it is about behavior or a process, the action is meant. If it is about a concrete product that can be bought, the copy is meant.
EXAMPLE
Die Nachahmung von Tierstimmen erfordert viel Übung.
The imitation of animal sounds requires a lot of practice.
Fixed expression
The expression 'zur Nachahmung empfohlen' (recommended for imitation) means that a behavior is exemplary and should be copied. The opposite is 'nicht zur Nachahmung empfohlen' (not recommended for imitation).
EXAMPLE
Sein Engagement für die Umwelt ist zur Nachahmung empfohlen.
His commitment to the environment is recommended for imitation.
Typical collocations
When referring to a copy, 'Nachahmung' (imitation) is often combined with adjectives that evaluate the quality, e.g. 'eine billige Nachahmung' (a cheap imitation), 'eine perfekte Nachahmung' (a perfect imitation), or 'eine plumpe Nachahmung' (a clumsy imitation).
EXAMPLE
Die Tasche war nur eine billige Nachahmung des Originals.
The bag was just a cheap imitation of the original.
Compare with
Nachahmung vs Kopie
copy
Kopie usually suggests a reproduction that is as accurate as possible. Nachahmung refers more generally to something modeled on an original and can therefore include significant differences or lower quality. Use Kopie for a particularly accurate reproduction, and Nachahmung for a merely similar version.
Nachahmung
Die Nachahmung des Markenschuhs sah ähnlich aus, war aber deutlich schlechter verarbeitet.
The imitation of the branded shoe looked similar, but it was made much more poorly.
Kopie
Die Kopie des Markenschuhs war dem Original bis ins Detail ähnlich.
The copy of the branded shoe was similar to the original down to the smallest detail.
In real life
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