01
der Roman
novel
A long, fictional literary work in prose form that develops a complex plot and characters.
example
Sie liest gerade einen spannenden historischen Roman.
She is currently reading an exciting historical novel.
der Roman
novel
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
'Der Roman' means 'novel' (a book). It is a false friend with the English word 'Roman', which refers to ancient Rome.
EXAMPLE
Für meinen Urlaub habe ich mir drei dicke Romane gekauft.
I bought three thick novels for my vacation.
Word family
Other useful words are derived from 'Roman' (novel), such as 'der Romanautor' (a person who writes novels) or 'die Romanfigur' (a character in a novel).
EXAMPLE
Die Hauptfigur in diesem Roman ist sehr interessant.
The main character in this novel is very interesting.
Typical collocations
'Roman' (novel) is often combined with verbs like 'lesen' (to read), 'schreiben' (to write), or 'veröffentlichen' (to publish). You can also combine it with genres, e.g. 'Kriminalroman' (crime novel), 'Liebesroman' (romance novel), or 'historischer Roman' (historical novel).
EXAMPLE
Sie hat gerade ihren ersten Kriminalroman veröffentlicht.
She has just published her first crime novel.
Colloquial meaning
In everyday language, 'Roman' (novel/long story) is often used colloquially for a very long and complicated story. It is usually used to express impatience.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe nur nach der Uhrzeit gefragt und er hat mir einen ganzen Roman erzählt.
I only asked what time it was, and he told me a whole long story.
Compare with
Roman vs Geschichte
story / history
'die Geschichte' and 'der Roman' both have to do with narrated events. 'die Geschichte' is much more general: it can be short or long, true or invented, told orally or written down. 'der Roman' is usually a long, fictional book with characters and a larger plot. Colloquially, both can also mean a complicated matter, but 'Roman' then emphasizes that everything is being told in a very long or dramatic way. Learners confuse the words when they call every narrated event a 'Roman'. For a normal story, 'Geschichte' usually fits best.
Roman
In der Bibliothek sucht Sofia einen Roman für die Ferien.
At the library, Sofia is looking for a novel for the holidays.
Geschichte
Am Abend erzählte der Großvater eine lustige Geschichte aus seiner Jugend.
In the evening, the grandfather told a funny story from his youth.
In real life
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