circus
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circus
A company with acrobats, clowns, and often animals that gives performances to entertain an audience, usually in a large tent.
Am Wochenende gehen wir mit den Kindern in den Zirkus.
At the weekend we're going to the circus with the children.
You can recognize the colloquial meaning of 'Aufsehen' (commotion) or 'Ärger' (trouble) because it is often combined with verbs like 'machen' (to make) or 'veranstalten' (to put on/cause) and describes a negative situation. The literal meaning refers to a place or an event.
Die Kinder freuen sich schon auf den Zirkus in der Stadt.
The children are already looking forward to the circus in town.
Pay attention to the case after the preposition 'in'. You go 'in den Zirkus' (to the circus; accusative, movement), but you are or work 'im Zirkus' (in the circus; dative, location).
Fahren wir am Sonntag in den Zirkus?
Shall we go to the circus on Sunday?
In the colloquial meaning, 'Zirkus' (fuss) is almost always used with the verbs 'machen' (to make), 'veranstalten' (to put on/cause), or 'aufführen' (to put on).
Wegen einer verlorenen E-Mail muss man nicht gleich so einen Zirkus veranstalten.
There's no need to make such a fuss over a lost email.
theater
'das Theater' and 'der Zirkus' can both be places or forms of entertainment, but they are not the same thing. In the theater, you mainly see plays or other stage arts. In the circus, you see acrobats, clowns, and often performances in a large tent. Colloquially, both can also mean something exaggerated. 'Theater' then sounds like dramatic behavior, while 'Zirkus' is more like a lot of noise, trouble, or chaos. That is why learners may confuse the words, especially in sentences like 'Mach kein Theater' (don't make such a fuss) and 'Mach keinen Zirkus' (don't make such a fuss).
Vor dem Supermarkt steht heute ein Zirkus mit einem großen roten Zelt.
Today there is a circus with a big red tent in front of the supermarket.
Morgen gehe ich mit meiner Schwester ins Theater.
Tomorrow I'm going to the theater with my sister.