trope
Loading your saved state.
trope
In rhetoric and literary studies, a figure of speech in which a word or expression is used not in its literal meaning but in a figurative one. Examples include metaphors, irony, or metonymy.
Die Metapher ist eine der bekanntesten Tropen, um Sprache bildhafter zu machen.
The metaphor is one of the best-known tropes for making language more vivid.
trope
In modern media and cultural criticism, a recurring, conventional motif, plot device, or character constellation in films, books, or other media that is often perceived as a cliché.
Der weise alte Mentor, der den Helden ausbildet, ist eine bekannte Trope in Fantasy-Geschichten.
The wise old mentor who trains the hero is a well-known trope in fantasy stories.
You can recognize the meaning from the topic. In the context of 'Sprache' (language), 'Rhetorik' (rhetoric), or 'Literatur' (literature), it refers to the figure of speech. In the context of 'Film' (film), 'Serie' (series), 'Geschichte' (story), or 'Klischee' (cliché), it refers to the recurring motif.
Die Ironie ist eine komplexe rhetorische Trope.
Irony is a complex rhetorical trope.
The meaning as a 'wiederkehrendes Motiv' (recurring motif) is very widespread today, especially in online discussions about films, series, and books. The original, purely rhetorical meaning, by contrast, is more limited to the academic sphere.
Auf der Webseite werden alle Tropen der neuen Serie analysiert.
The website analyzes all the tropes of the new series.
In the meaning as a media cliché, 'Trope' (trope) is often combined with adjectives such as 'bekannt' (well-known), 'beliebt' (popular), or 'abgenutzt' (worn-out). Common verbs are 'eine Trope verwenden' (to use a trope), 'bedienen' (to employ/use), or 'vermeiden' (to avoid).
Der Film nutzt viele bekannte Tropen des Horrorgenres.
The film uses many well-known tropes of the horror genre.
figure
Figur and Trope can both refer to a non-literal form of language. Figur is the more general term for a linguistic device, while Trope is a technical term for a transfer of meaning, as in a metaphor or metonymy. In everyday language, Figur is appropriate; in technical language, Trope is.
In der Literaturwissenschaft gilt die Metapher als typische Trope mit übertragener Bedeutung.
In literary studies, a metaphor is considered a typical trope with a figurative meaning.
Die Metapher ist eine sprachliche Figur, die den Text bildhafter macht.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes the text more vivid.
