die Sinfonie
symphony
A large-scale musical composition for an orchestra, typically consisting of several movements.
EXAMPLE
Beethovens neunte Sinfonie ist weltberühmt.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is world-famous.
die Sinfonie
symphony
die Sinfonie, die Sinfonien
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Meanings
die Sinfonie
symphony
In a figurative sense, a harmonious and impressive whole made up of sensory impressions, such as colors, sounds, or smells.
EXAMPLE
Der Sonnenuntergang am Meer war eine Sinfonie aus Farben.
The sunset by the sea was a symphony of colors.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Sinfonie, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Sinfonien |
| genitive | der Sinfonie |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Sinfonie | die Sinfonien |
| accusative | die Sinfonie | die Sinfonien |
| dative | der Sinfonie | den Sinfonien |
| genitive | der Sinfonie | der Sinfonien |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Origin of the word
The word comes from the Greek 'symphonia', which means 'sounding together' or 'harmony'. Knowing this helps you understand both the musical and the figurative meaning of harmony and perfect interplay.
EXAMPLE
Das Orchester spielte die Sinfonie mit großer Leidenschaft.
The orchestra played the symphony with great passion.
Typical collocations
In a musical context, a symphony is often specified more precisely with the composer (e.g. 'eine Sinfonie von Mozart' (a symphony by Mozart)) or an ordinal number (e.g. 'die fünfte Sinfonie' (the fifth symphony)).
EXAMPLE
Wir hören heute Abend die siebte Sinfonie von Dvořák.
Tonight we are listening to Dvořák's Seventh Symphony.
Seine erste Sinfonie war ein großer Erfolg.
His first symphony was a great success.
Register and style
The figurative meaning of 'Sinfonie' (symphony) is used mainly in elevated or poetic language. In normal everyday life, this use is rare.
EXAMPLE
Der Dichter beschrieb den Wald als eine Sinfonie des Lebens.
The poet described the forest as a symphony of life.
Sentence structure and use
In the figurative meaning, 'Sinfonie' (symphony) is almost always followed by the preposition 'aus' (of/from) or a genitive with 'der' (of the) to describe the harmonious elements.
EXAMPLE
Das Gericht war eine Sinfonie aus exotischen Gewürzen.
The dish was a symphony of exotic spices.
Der herbstliche Park bot eine Sinfonie der Farben.
The autumn park offered a symphony of colors.
Compare with
Sinfonie vs Harmonie
harmony
Harmonie describes the balanced interplay of individual colors or other elements. Sinfonie refers figuratively to the entire impressive composition of these sensory impressions. Harmonie suits the relationship between the elements; Sinfonie suits their effect as a grand overall picture.
Sinfonie
Das herbstliche Bild wirkt wie eine leuchtende Sinfonie aus Farben.
The autumn painting looks like a radiant symphony of colors.
Harmonie
Die Harmonie der Farben macht das herbstliche Bild besonders angenehm.
The harmony of the colors makes the autumn painting especially pleasing.
In real life
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