science
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science
The entire system of gaining knowledge about nature, society, and thought, including research and teaching at universities and institutes.
Die Wissenschaft sucht nach Antworten auf die großen Fragen der Menschheit.
Science looks for answers to humanity's big questions.
The word is made up of the verb 'wissen' (to know) and the suffix '-schaft' (-ship/-hood). The suffix '-schaft' forms abstract nouns that describe a state or a whole. 'Wissenschaft' is therefore literally the 'totality of knowledge.'
Die Freundschaft zwischen den beiden Forschern war sehr produktiv für ihre Wissenschaft.
The friendship between the two researchers was very productive for their field.
The word family includes the adjective 'wissenschaftlich' (scientific/academic) and the terms for people 'der Wissenschaftler' (male scientist/scholar) and 'die Wissenschaftlerin' (female scientist/scholar). If you know one word, you can often understand the others more easily.
Eine wissenschaftliche Studie hat neue Ergebnisse geliefert.
A scientific study has produced new results.
In German, 'Wissenschaft' includes all academic disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences (e.g., history, literature, sociology). In English, 'science' is often used more narrowly for the natural sciences.
Die Geschichtswissenschaft untersucht die Vergangenheit der Menschheit.
Historical scholarship studies humanity's past.
In its general meaning, 'Wissenschaft' is often used in fixed combinations, such as 'Wissenschaft und Forschung' (science and research), 'Wissenschaft und Technik' (science and technology), or 'Wissenschaft treiben' (to engage in academic research).
An der Universität wird nicht nur gelehrt, sondern auch Wissenschaft betrieben.
At the university, people not only teach but also conduct research.
When the word is used in the plural — 'die Wissenschaften' — it almost always refers to the various individual fields of study (meaning 2).
Die Geisteswissenschaften beschäftigen sich mit dem Menschen und seiner Kultur.
The humanities deal with humans and their culture.
research
'Forschung' and 'Wissenschaft' are closely connected because both have to do with knowledge and new findings. 'Forschung' mainly means the concrete work: you investigate something, collect data, and look for new results. 'Wissenschaft' is broader. It means the whole system including research, teaching, universities, and also individual subjects such as physics or sociology. Learners can easily confuse the words because research is an important part of science. As a practical rule: when it is about the activity of investigating, 'Forschung' fits. When it is about the whole area or a subject, 'Wissenschaft' fits better.
Mein Kollege interessiert sich für Wissenschaft und liest gern Bücher über Physik.
My colleague is interested in science and enjoys reading books about physics.
Die Forschung an neuen Medikamenten dauert oft viele Jahre.
Research into new medications often takes many years.