speculation
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speculation
A guess, assumption, or theory based on incomplete information or clues and not proven.
Solange wir keine Beweise haben, ist alles Weitere reine Spekulation.
As long as we don't have any evidence, everything else is pure speculation.
speculation
In finance, a risky investment or transaction in which one hopes for quick and high profits from price fluctuations, but can also risk heavy losses.
Er hat sein Vermögen durch riskante Spekulationen an der Börse verloren.
He lost his fortune through risky speculation on the stock market.
The noun 'die Spekulation' (speculation) belongs to the verb 'spekulieren' (to speculate). When someone speculates, they make speculations. The ending '-ation' is typical for nouns derived from verbs ending in '-ieren'.
Ich möchte nicht darüber spekulieren, was passiert ist.
I don't want to speculate about what happened.
You can tell from context whether a guess or a financial transaction is meant. Words like 'Börse' (stock exchange), 'Aktien' (stocks), 'Gewinn' (profit), or 'Immobilien' (real estate) point to the financial meaning. Words like 'Gerüchte' (rumors), 'Beweise' (evidence), or 'Theorie' (theory) point to a guess.
Die Spekulationen mit Kryptowährungen sind sehr riskant.
Speculation with cryptocurrencies is very risky.
When it is about a guess, 'Spekulation' (speculation) is often combined with adjectives such as 'rein' (pure), 'bloß' (mere), or 'wild' (wild). A common expression is also 'Spekulationen anstellen' (to make speculations).
Das ist doch alles bloße Spekulation, wir haben keine Fakten.
That's all mere speculation; we don't have any facts.
When naming the topic of the speculation, the preposition 'über' (about) is used with the accusative.
Es gibt viele Spekulationen über die Zukunft der Firma.
There is a lot of speculation about the future of the company.
In a financial context, typical combinations are 'riskante Spekulation' (risky speculation), 'Spekulation an der Börse' (speculation on the stock market), or 'Spekulation mit Aktien/Immobilien' (speculation with stocks/real estate).
Die Spekulation mit Grundstücken hat die Preise in die Höhe getrieben.
Speculation with land has driven prices up.
theory
Both words can refer to an unproven explanation. “Eine Spekulation” (speculation) emphasizes, however, that only limited or incomplete information is available and that the basis is particularly uncertain. “Eine Theorie,” by contrast, can be a developed explanation without this negative connotation. Use “Spekulation” when the weak basis is important, and “Theorie” for the explanatory model.
Die Meldung über einen möglichen Wechsel des Sängers ist bisher nur Spekulation.
The report about the singer possibly changing teams is so far only speculation.
Die Theorie erklärt anhand mehrerer Beobachtungen, warum die Tiere ihr Verhalten ändern.
The theory explains, based on several observations, why the animals are changing their behavior.
