der Vers
line of verse
A single line in a poem, song lyrics, or another literary work written in metrical language.
EXAMPLE
Das Gedicht besteht aus vier Strophen mit je vier Versen.
The poem consists of four stanzas with four lines of verse each.
der Vers
verse
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Meanings
der Vers
verse
A short, numbered section in a sacred text, especially in the Bible or the Quran.
EXAMPLE
Der Pfarrer zitierte einen Vers aus dem Johannesevangelium.
The pastor quoted a verse from the Gospel of John.
der Vers
verse
A stanza, meaning a connected section of several lines in a song or poem.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem zweiten Vers des Liedes kommt der Refrain.
After the second verse of the song comes the chorus.
Usage tips
Context clue
The meaning of 'Vers' (verse) depends heavily on context. In literary analysis, it refers to a single line. In the context of songs, however, 'der erste Vers' (the first verse) can also mean the first stanza.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Vers hat genau zehn Silben.
This line of verse has exactly ten syllables.
Typical collocations
When referring to a line of poetry, you often hear phrases like 'ein Gedicht in freien Versen' (a poem in free verse; without a fixed meter or rhyme) or 'ein Vers reimt sich auf einen anderen' (one line of verse rhymes with another).
EXAMPLE
Moderne Lyrik ist oft in freien Versen geschrieben.
Modern poetry is often written in free verse.
Context: sacred texts
When 'Vers' (verse) is mentioned together with the name of a sacred book, e.g. the Bible or Quran, or with chapter and line numbers, it always means a short passage of text.
EXAMPLE
Er schlug die Bibel auf und las einen Vers vor.
He opened the Bible and read a verse aloud.
Register: colloquial
The use of 'Vers' (verse) for an entire stanza of a song is especially common in colloquial language and in the context of pop music. In literary studies, the term 'Strophe' (stanza) is used for this.
EXAMPLE
Lass uns nach dem zweiten Vers alle zusammen den Refrain singen.
Let's all sing the chorus together after the second verse.
Compare with
Vers vs Line
line
Line and Vers can both refer to a single rhythmic line of a song. Line is especially common in modern rap and often highlights a memorable line of lyrics. Vers is the literary term for a line in metrical language and places more emphasis on its meter.
Vers
Jeder Vers dieses Liedtextes besteht aus genau zehn Silben.
Each verse of this song's lyrics consists of exactly ten syllables.
Line
Die letzte Line des Rap-Songs enthält die wichtigste Botschaft.
The last line of the rap song contains the most important message.
In real life
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