01
das Synonym
synonym
A word that has the same or a very similar meaning as another word.
example
„Glücklich“ ist ein Synonym für „froh“.
'Glücklich' (happy) is a synonym for 'froh' (glad).
das Synonym
synonym
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word comes from Greek: 'syn' means 'together' and 'onym' means 'name'. A synonym is therefore literally a 'together-name', a word that is related to another by name.
EXAMPLE
Die Herkunft des Wortes hilft, seine Bedeutung zu verstehen.
The origin of the word helps you understand its meaning.
Fixed preposition
When stating what a word is a synonym for, German always uses the preposition 'für' (for) followed by the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Können Sie mir ein Synonym für „kompliziert“ nennen?
Can you give me a synonym for 'kompliziert' (complicated)?
Typical verbs
In language use, 'Synonym' (synonym) is often combined with verbs like 'suchen' (to look for), 'finden' (to find), 'verwenden' (to use), or 'kennen' (to know).
EXAMPLE
Für dieses Fachwort müssen wir ein passenderes Synonym finden.
We need to find a more suitable synonym for this technical term.
Compare with
Synonym vs Begriff
term
'der Begriff' and 'das Synonym' both belong to the area of language and meaning, but they are not the same thing. A 'Begriff' is a word or phrase that denotes a specific idea. A 'Synonym' is another word with the same or a very similar meaning. They can be confused because both involve talking about words. But 'Begriff' asks about the meaning or concept itself. 'Synonym' asks for another suitable word for the same or almost the same content.
Synonym
Im Wörterbuch sucht er ein Synonym für das Wort „schnell“.
In the dictionary, he looks up a synonym for the word 'schnell' (fast).
Begriff
Zur Vorbereitung schreibe ich jeden neuen Begriff in mein Heft.
To prepare, I write every new term in my notebook.
In real life
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