die Persönlichkeit
personality
The totality of the individual traits that make up a person's character.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine freundliche und offene Persönlichkeit.
He has a friendly and open personality.
die Persönlichkeit
personality
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Meanings
die Persönlichkeit
public figure
A well-known or famous person, especially from public life such as culture, politics, or sports.
EXAMPLE
Zur Gala kamen viele Persönlichkeiten aus Film und Fernsehen.
Many public figures from film and television came to the gala.
die Persönlichkeit
legal personality
In a legal or philosophical sense, the quality of being a bearer of rights and duties.
EXAMPLE
Eine GmbH ist eine juristische Persönlichkeit mit eigener Rechtsfähigkeit.
A GmbH is a legal personality with its own legal capacity.
Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Persönlichkeit' (personality) belongs to the word family of 'Person' (person). The adjective 'persönlich' (personal) describes what belongs to a person, and the ending '-keit' turns it into a noun that refers to the totality of these traits.
EXAMPLE
Jeder Mensch hat eine einzigartige Persönlichkeit.
Every person has a unique personality.
Typical collocations
To describe a person's character, 'Persönlichkeit' (personality) is often used with the verb 'haben' (to have) and descriptive adjectives. Typical examples are 'eine starke Persönlichkeit haben' (to have a strong personality) or 'eine angenehme Persönlichkeit haben' (to have a pleasant personality).
EXAMPLE
Sie hat eine sehr gewinnende Persönlichkeit und kann gut mit Menschen umgehen.
She has a very winning personality and is good with people.
Context clue: famous person
When 'Persönlichkeit' (public figure) means a famous person, it often appears in the plural or is accompanied by adjectives like 'bekannt' (well-known), 'öffentlich' (public), or 'prominent' (prominent). The context is usually culture, politics, or media.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Preisverleihung waren viele bekannte Persönlichkeiten anwesend.
Many well-known public figures were present at the awards ceremony.
Legal terminology
The meaning as a bearer of rights and duties is almost exclusively technical language from the field of law or business. You can recognize it by the fixed combination 'juristische Persönlichkeit' (legal personality).
EXAMPLE
Ein Verein kann als juristische Persönlichkeit eingetragen werden.
An association can be registered as a legal personality.
Compare with
Persönlichkeit vs Person
person
„Person“ initially refers to a human being in a neutral way. „Persönlichkeit“ can also refer to a person, but in this use it usually emphasizes their fame or public importance. Use „Person“ for any individual or one described objectively, and „Persönlichkeit“ for someone with particular public standing.
Persönlichkeit
Eine bekannte Persönlichkeit aus dem Sport stellte nach dem Vortrag eine Frage.
A well-known public figure from the world of sports asked a question after the talk.
Person
Eine Person aus dem Publikum stellte nach dem Vortrag eine Frage.
A person in the audience asked a question after the talk.
In real life
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