die Zeile
line
A horizontal row of words or characters in a written or printed text.
EXAMPLE
In der dritten Zeile des Gedichts befindet sich ein Rechtschreibfehler.
There is a spelling mistake in the third line of the poem.
die Zeile
line
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Meanings
zwischen den Zeilen lesen
to read between the lines
To recognize the unspoken, hidden, or actual meaning in a statement or text.
EXAMPLE
Obwohl er sagte, alles sei in Ordnung, konnte man zwischen den Zeilen seine Enttäuschung lesen.
Although he said everything was fine, you could read his disappointment between the lines.
die Zeile
row / line
A row of similar things or people arranged next to one another.
EXAMPLE
Entlang des Flusses erstreckte sich eine lange Zeile von Pappeln.
A long row of poplars stretched along the river.
Usage tips
Context clue
The context makes the meaning clear. If the word refers to a text, a book, or a poem, it means a line of text. If it refers to physical objects such as trees, houses, or people, it means a row.
EXAMPLE
Bitte lies die nächste Zeile vor.
Please read the next line aloud.
Sentence structure and use
To refer to a specific line in a text, you use the preposition 'in' together with an ordinal number or the plain number. For example: 'in der fünften Zeile' (in the fifth line) or 'in Zeile fünf' (in line five).
EXAMPLE
Der Fehler steht in der ersten Zeile des Codes.
The error is in the first line of the code.
Fixed expression
The phrase 'zwischen den Zeilen lesen' (to read between the lines) is a fixed idiom. It means to understand a hidden message in a statement or text that is not said directly.
EXAMPLE
Er hat nicht direkt kritisiert, aber man konnte seine Unzufriedenheit zwischen den Zeilen lesen.
He did not criticize directly, but you could read his dissatisfaction between the lines.
Compare with
Zeile vs Reihe
row / series
Reihe and Zeile can both refer to things arranged horizontally next to one another. The choice often depends on the usual collocation: with seats, German uses Sitzreihe, while horizontal entries in a table are called a Tabellenzeile. Zeile is also typical for words or characters in texts.
Zeile
Unsere Namen befinden sich in der dritten Zeile der Tabelle.
Our names are in the third row of the table.
Reihe
Unsere Plätze befinden sich in der dritten Reihe des Saals.
Our seats are in the third row of the hall.
In real life
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