die Tragödie
tragedy
A very sad, terrible, or catastrophic event that causes great suffering.
EXAMPLE
Der Unfall auf der Autobahn war eine furchtbare Tragödie.
The accident on the highway was a terrible tragedy.
die Tragödie
tragedy
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
die Tragödie
tragedy
A form of drama in literature and theater that typically deals with a serious conflict and ends unhappily or catastrophically for the main characters.
EXAMPLE
Im Deutschunterricht haben wir Shakespeares Tragödie „Hamlet“ analysiert.
In German class, we analyzed Shakespeare's tragedy 'Hamlet'.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective for 'Tragödie' (tragedy) is 'tragisch' (tragic). It describes events or situations that are sad and unfortunate.
EXAMPLE
Es war ein tragischer Unfall mit vielen Verletzten.
It was a tragic accident with many injured people.
Typical collocations
In connection with a terrible event, 'Tragödie' (tragedy) is often specified more closely. Typical expressions are 'eine persönliche Tragödie' (a personal tragedy), 'eine Familientragödie' (a family tragedy), or 'eine nationale Tragödie' (a national tragedy).
EXAMPLE
Der frühe Tod ihres Mannes war eine persönliche Tragödie für sie.
The early death of her husband was a personal tragedy for her.
Context clue
You can tell from context whether a real event or a literary work is meant. Words like 'Theater' (theater), 'Autor' (author), 'Drama' (drama), or names of writers like 'Shakespeare' point to the literary meaning.
EXAMPLE
Die griechische Tragödie ist ein wichtiger Teil der Weltliteratur.
Greek tragedy is an important part of world literature.
Compare with
Tragödie vs Drama
drama
A Drama is a work written for the stage and does not have to end unhappily. A Tragödie is a particular form of Drama with a serious conflict and typically an unhappy or catastrophic ending. For a clearly tragic play, Tragödie is therefore more precise.
Tragödie
Die Tragödie über den Familienkonflikt endet mit dem Tod der Hauptfigur.
The tragedy about the family conflict ends with the death of the main character.
Drama
Das Drama über den Familienkonflikt endet mit einer Versöhnung.
The drama about the family conflict ends with a reconciliation.
In real life
Loading video examples...