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
die Rolle
role
The function, task, or importance that a person or thing has in a particular context.
EXAMPLE
Welche Rolle spielt die Ernährung für die Gesundheit?
What role does nutrition play in health?
die Rolle
roll
A cylindrical object around which something is wound, e.g. paper, thread, or film.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir bitte eine Rolle Küchenpapier aus dem Schrank holen?
Could you please get me a roll of kitchen paper from the cupboard?
eine Rolle spielen
to play a role
To be important, relevant, or significant. Often used in the negative form.
EXAMPLE
Bei dieser Entscheidung spielt Geld keine Rolle.
Money plays no role in this decision.
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 Job
job
“Die Rolle” and “der Job” can both describe what a person does in a situation. “Die Rolle” emphasizes their function and the expected behavior, while “der Job” sounds more colloquial and more strongly suggests a practical task. “Rolle” fits a function, while “Job” often fits a specific assignment.
Rolle
In unserem Team ist ihre Rolle, die Gespräche zu leiten.
In our team, her role is to lead the discussions.
Job
In unserem Team ist ihr Job, die Gesprächsnotizen zu schreiben.
In our team, her job is to write the meeting notes.
In real life
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