zitieren
to quote
To reproduce the words of another person or a passage of text word for word.
EXAMPLE
In seiner Rede zitierte der Politiker oft aus der Verfassung.
In his speech, the politician often quoted from the constitution.
zitieren
to quote / summon
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Meanings
zitieren
to summon
To officially require someone to appear before an authority or a court.
EXAMPLE
Der Hauptzeuge wurde für nächsten Dienstag vor Gericht zitiert.
The main witness was summoned to court for next Tuesday.
Usage tips
Sentence structure with accusative
The verb 'zitieren' (to quote/summon) usually takes an accusative object that indicates what or whom one is quoting or summoning. The source from which something is quoted is often added with the preposition 'aus' (from) and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Er zitierte einen berühmten Dichter.
He quoted a famous poet.
Elevated style
The verb 'zitieren' (to quote/summon) belongs more to written language and formal usage. It is often used in academic papers, journalism, and official speeches.
EXAMPLE
Der Professor zitierte mehrere Studien, um seine These zu stützen.
The professor quoted several studies to support his thesis.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'wörtlich wiedergeben' (to reproduce word for word), 'zitieren' (to quote) is often combined with sources and texts. Typical phrases are 'einen Autor zitieren' (to quote an author), 'aus einem Buch zitieren' (to quote from a book), or 'eine Studie zitieren' (to cite a study).
EXAMPLE
Im Aufsatz müssen Sie die Quellen korrekt zitieren.
In the essay, you must cite the sources correctly.
Context clue: authorities
You can recognize the meaning 'vorladen' (to summon) from the context. It is almost always used together with places like 'Gericht' (court) or 'Behörde' (authority). The person who is supposed to appear is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Man hat ihn als Zeugen vor das Gericht zitiert.
He was summoned to court as a witness.
Compare with
zitieren vs anführen
to lead / cite / trick
Both words can refer to using someone else's words or a text as evidence. Zitieren means reproducing the words exactly, whereas anführen is more general: it names an example, reason, or piece of evidence and does not have to be a literal quotation. Use zitieren for exact original wording and often anführen for a piece of evidence that is mentioned.
zitieren
In ihrem Vortrag zitierte Lea genau die Worte der Autorin.
In her presentation, Lea quoted the author's exact words.
anführen
In ihrem Vortrag führte Lea die Studie als Beweis für ihre Meinung an.
In her presentation, Lea cited the study as evidence for her opinion.
In real life
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