01
das Talent
talent
A special, innate gift or ability for a particular activity, for example in art, sports, or music.
example
Sie hat ein außergewöhnliches Talent für das Klavierspielen.
She has an extraordinary talent for playing the piano.
das Talent
talent
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Correct preposition
To express the area in which a gift lies, 'Talent' (talent) is almost always used with the preposition 'für' followed by the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Er hat ein großes Talent für Sprachen und lernt sehr schnell.
He has a great talent for languages and learns very quickly.
Context clue
You can distinguish between the ability and the person: 'Talent haben' (to have talent) refers to the ability. 'Ein Talent sein' (to be a talent) or 'als Talent gelten' (to be considered a talent) describes a person.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat Talent, aber sie übt nicht genug.
She has talent, but she doesn't practice enough.
Typical collocations
Common verbs used with 'Talent' (talent) as an ability are 'ein Talent haben' (to have a talent), 'ein Talent entdecken' (to discover a talent), 'sein Talent fördern' (to foster one's talent), or 'sein Talent verschwenden' (to waste one's talent).
EXAMPLE
Gute Lehrer helfen Schülern dabei, ihre Talente zu entdecken.
Good teachers help students discover their talents.
Context clue: history
The meaning as a unit of currency is historical. It appears only in texts that refer to antiquity, for example the Roman Empire or biblical stories.
EXAMPLE
Im Geschichtsunterricht lernten wir, dass ein Talent damals unvorstellbar viel wert war.
In history class, we learned that a talent was worth an unimaginable amount back then.
Compare with
Talent vs Kunst
art
'die Kunst' and 'das Talent' can both have to do with special ability. 'das Talent' usually means an innate gift, or also a person with such a gift. 'die Kunst' more often means a special skill that you develop through practice and that seems difficult. Learners may confuse the words because talented people often also master an art or skill well. The difference is: 'Talent' emphasizes natural giftedness, while 'Kunst' emphasizes skill and execution.
Talent
Schon in der Schule fiel auf, dass Lena ein großes Talent für Musik hatte.
Even at school, people noticed that Lena had a great talent for music.
Kunst
Beim Kochen ist die Kunst, einfache Zutaten richtig zu kombinieren.
In cooking, the art is to combine simple ingredients in the right way.
In real life
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