01
das Zitat
quote
A passage taken word for word from a text or a speech by another person.
example
Am Anfang seines Aufsatzes verwendete er ein berühmtes Zitat von Goethe.
At the beginning of his essay, he used a famous quote by Goethe.
das Zitat
quote
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Das Zitat' (the quote) belongs to the word family of the verb 'zitieren' (to quote). A quote is the result of the action: when you quote someone, you produce a quote.
EXAMPLE
Der Professor zitiert oft aus klassischen Werken.
The professor often quotes from classic works.
Context clue
The two meanings can easily be distinguished by context. If it is about authors, books, or speeches, a word-for-word quotation is meant. If it is about stocks, the stock exchange, or prices, a financial quote is meant.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Zitat von Einstein ist weltberühmt.
This quote by Einstein is world-famous.
Typical prepositions
To indicate the source of a quote, German uses the prepositions 'von' (by/from) for the person and 'aus' (from) for the work (book, film, speech).
EXAMPLE
Ich suche ein passendes Zitat von Mark Twain.
I'm looking for a suitable quote by Mark Twain.
Compare with
Zitat vs Spruch
saying / remark / ruling
'das Zitat' and 'der Spruch' can both be short sentences that you reproduce or pass on. But a 'Zitat' is taken exactly from a text or speech and has a source. A 'Spruch' is more of a short, memorable sentence, for example a motto, a joke, or a piece of life wisdom. It does not have to come word for word from a specific person. In addition, 'Spruch' can also be a cheeky or inappropriate remark. The words can be confused when a well-known sentence sounds wise. If the exact source is important, you are more likely to say 'Zitat'; if the sentence feels like a motto or a casual remark, 'Spruch' fits better.
Zitat
Für ihren Vortrag schreibt Luisa ein Zitat aus dem Buch an die Tafel.
For her presentation, Luisa writes a quote from the book on the board.
Spruch
Nach dem Fehler machte Tom einen frechen Spruch, und alle lachten.
After the mistake, Tom made a cheeky remark, and everyone laughed.
In real life
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