01
die Rolle
role
The character that an actor portrays in a film or play.
example
Er hat die Rolle des Bösewichts perfekt gespielt.
He played the role of the villain perfectly.
die Rolle
role / roll
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Fixed expression
The expression 'eine Rolle spielen' means 'to be important' or 'to be relevant'. The negative form 'keine Rolle spielen' is especially common and means 'to be unimportant'.
EXAMPLE
Erfahrung spielt in diesem Job eine große Rolle.
Experience plays a major role in this job.
Context clue
You can easily distinguish the concrete meaning (cylindrical object) from the abstract meanings (function, character). The concrete 'Rolle' is a physical object like 'eine Rolle Papier' (a roll of paper), while the abstract roles refer to people or concepts.
EXAMPLE
Gibst du mir bitte die Rolle mit dem Klebeband?
Could you please give me the roll with the adhesive tape?
Typical collocations
In the context of theater and film, 'Rolle' is often combined with the verbs 'spielen' (to play), 'übernehmen' (to take on), or 'bekommen' (to get). A distinction is also made between 'Hauptrolle' (main role) and 'Nebenrolle' (supporting role).
EXAMPLE
Die Schauspielerin hat für ihre erste Hauptrolle einen Preis bekommen.
The actress received a prize for her first main role.
Typical collocations
When it is about a function or task, 'Rolle' is often used with adjectives such as 'wichtig' (important), 'entscheidend' (decisive), 'aktiv' (active), or 'zentral' (central). The verb is usually 'spielen' (to play) here as well.
EXAMPLE
Die Eltern spielen eine entscheidende Rolle in der Entwicklung ihrer Kinder.
Parents play a decisive role in the development of their children.
Compare with
Rolle vs Person
person
'die Person' and 'die Rolle' can both have to do with people or characters in a story. 'Person' means the person themselves, or a character as an individual unit. 'Rolle', on the other hand, means what task someone has or which character an actor plays. They can be confused when talking about film or theater. A person can play a role, but the role is not the whole person.
Rolle
Johanna hat im Theaterstück die Rolle der Ärztin gespielt.
Johanna played the role of the doctor in the play.
Person
Auf dem Foto ist nur eine Person deutlich zu erkennen.
Only one person can be clearly seen in the photo.
In real life
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