01
der Text
text
A sequence of written or printed sentences that form connected content.
example
Bitte lesen Sie den Text aufmerksam durch und beantworten Sie die Fragen.
Please read the text carefully and answer the questions.
der Text
text
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The colloquial verb 'texten' (to text) is derived from the noun 'der Text' (text). It is also part of many compound words such as 'Textnachricht' (text message) or 'Textverarbeitung' (word processing).
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir später texten, wann du ankommst?
Can you text me later when you arrive?
Typical verbs
In general usage, 'Text' is often combined with verbs that describe editing or processing. Typical phrases are: 'einen Text verfassen' (to write a text), 'einen Text verstehen' (to understand a text), 'einen Text übersetzen' (to translate a text), or 'einen Text zusammenfassen' (to summarize a text).
EXAMPLE
Die Schüler mussten den Text ins Englische übersetzen.
The students had to translate the text into English.
Context clue: music
When 'Text' is used in the context of music, songs, or an opera, it always means the sung words, that is, the lyrics. Signal words for this are 'Lied' (song), 'singen' (to sing), or 'Melodie' (melody).
EXAMPLE
Er singt sehr gut, aber er vergisst oft den Text.
He sings very well, but he often forgets the lyrics.
Context clue: computers
In connection with computers and software, 'Text' refers to digital written characters. You can recognize this from typical verbs like 'kopieren' (to copy), 'einfügen' (to paste), 'markieren' (to select), or 'löschen' (to delete).
EXAMPLE
Du kannst den Text einfach markieren und in ein anderes Dokument einfügen.
You can simply select the text and paste it into another document.
Compare with
Text vs Artikel
article
'der Artikel' and 'der Text' can both mean something written. 'der Text' is the more general word: it can be short or long and appear in many forms, for example as a message, exercise, or story. 'der Artikel' is a specific type of text, usually in a newspaper, magazine, or on a website. It provides information about a topic. Learners may confuse the words because every article is a text, but not every text is an article. If you are talking about a journalistic or informative piece, 'Artikel' fits. If the type of writing is not important, 'Text' is more natural.
Text
Nach der Arbeit schreibt ihr einen kurzen Text über euren Tag.
After work, you write a short text about your day.
Artikel
Sofia hat am Wochenende einen Artikel über gesunde Ernährung gelesen.
Sofia read an article about healthy eating over the weekend.
In real life
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