video game
Loading your saved state.
video game
An electronic game played on a screen, such as a television or computer monitor, in which the player interacts with the game world through an input device.
Das neue Videospiel hat eine beeindruckende Grafik und eine fesselnde Geschichte.
The new video game has impressive graphics and a gripping story.
The word is a simple compound made from 'Video' (video) and 'Spiel' (game). It follows a common pattern in which the medium is placed before the base word 'Spiel' (game).
Mein erstes Videospiel habe ich auf einer alten Konsole gespielt.
I played my first video game on an old console.
The most common and important verb combination is 'ein Videospiel spielen' (to play a video game). Other typical verbs are 'entwickeln' (to develop), 'herunterladen' (to download), or 'veröffentlichen' (to publish/release).
Am Wochenende spiele ich gerne Videospiele mit meinen Freunden.
On the weekend, I like playing video games with my friends.
The pattern '[medium] + Spiel' (game) is very productive in German. Similar to 'Videospiel' (video game), words like 'Computerspiel' (computer game), 'Handyspiel' (mobile game), or 'Konsolenspiel' (console game) are also formed.
Computerspiele sind ein beliebtes Hobby für viele Menschen.
Computer games are a popular hobby for many people.
game / play
'das Spiel' and 'das Videospiel' both belong to the area of games and entertainment. But 'das Spiel' is much more general: it can be a board game, card game, children's game, or another game with rules. 'das Videospiel' is a specific type of game that you play electronically on a screen. Learners may confuse the words because every video game is a game. But not every game is a video game. When a screen and a device are important, 'Videospiel' is more precise.
Am Wochenende hat Max ein neues Videospiel auf der Konsole ausprobiert.
At the weekend, Max tried out a new video game on the console.
Nach dem Essen spielen wir ein Spiel mit Karten.
After dinner, we play a card game.