exciting
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exciting / suspenseful
Gripping, exciting, and full of uncertainty, so that you absolutely want to know what happens next.
Der Kriminalroman war so spannend, dass ich ihn in einer Nacht gelesen habe.
The crime novel was so suspenseful that I read it in one night.
The word 'spannend' (exciting/suspenseful) derives from the verb 'spannen' (to tighten/stretch). A 'spannende Geschichte' (suspenseful story) creates 'Spannung' (suspense/tension)—you feel tense inside and absolutely want to know what happens next.
Die letzte Folge der Serie war voller Spannung.
The last episode of the series was full of suspense.
To express a personal opinion, the structure 'Ich finde [etwas im Akkusativ] spannend' (I find [something in the accusative] exciting/interesting) is often used. With it, you say that you find something interesting and gripping.
Ich finde historische Dokumentationen sehr spannend.
I find historical documentaries very exciting.
'Spannend' (exciting/suspenseful) often describes media, events, or narratives. Typical combinations are: 'ein spannender Film' (an exciting film), 'ein spannendes Buch' (an exciting book), 'ein spannendes Spiel' (an exciting game), or 'eine spannende Geschichte' (an exciting story).
Wir haben gestern Abend ein sehr spannendes Brettspiel gespielt.
We played a very exciting board game yesterday evening.
interesting
'interessant' and 'spannend' both describe something that gets our attention. You use 'interessant' when something makes you curious or is worth knowing about, for example a topic, a lecture, or a piece of information. 'spannend' is stronger: it means that you are excited and want to know what happens next, for example in a film, game, or crime story. Learners may confuse the words because both can be positive. As a simple guide: a museum can be 'interessant'; a crime novel is often 'spannend'.
Der Film war so spannend, dass Luis bis zum Ende nicht auf sein Handy geschaut hat.
The film was so suspenseful that Luis did not look at his phone until the end.
Der Vortrag über alte Städte war interessant, weil ich viel Neues gelernt habe.
The lecture about old cities was interesting because I learned a lot of new things.