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
der Roman
long story
Colloquially, a very long, complicated, and often dramatic story or matter.
EXAMPLE
Erzähl mir nicht den ganzen Roman, komm einfach zum Punkt.
Don't tell me the whole long story; just get to the point.
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
Geschichte is a neutral term for a narrative. Roman can also be used colloquially to mean an account, but in that use it emphasizes, critically or humorously, that the account is excessively long and complicated. Geschichte fits a normal narrative, while Roman fits an account that is far too long.
Roman
Sie erzählte uns einen ganzen Roman über ihre Reise.
She told us a whole novel about her trip.
Geschichte
Sie erzählte uns die Geschichte ihrer Reise.
She told us the story of her trip.
In real life
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