The arts are basically divided into three different categories: the Visual Arts (die bildende Kunst), Literature (die Literatur), and the Performing Arts (die darstellende Kunst). Of course, there are art forms that combine the different categories—as well as art that is very difficult to categorize at all—but let's stick to the basics!
Today we'll focus on the Visual Arts. The first type of art in this category is architecture (die Architektur). The professional title of a person who creates architecture is an architect (der Architekt / die Architektin).
Architektur ist eben die Reflexion eines Zeitgeistes.
Architecture is simply a reflection of a spirit of the times.
Caption 38, Architektur der Stadt: Karlsruhe
Play Caption
Mit dem namentlichen Gedenken möchte Architektin Barbara Willecke einerseits den Ort der Synagoge wieder sichtbar machen
With memorialization by name, architect Barbara Willecke would like, on the one hand, to make the site of the synagogue visible again
Captions 65-66, Holocaust-Gedenktag: Gedenkstätte am Michelsberg
Play Caption
The next type of art in the visual arts is ceramics (die Keramik), which is classified in German culture as an artisanal handicraft (das Kunsthandwerk). Works of art made of ceramic are also called pottery (die Töpferware). You call a person who makes ceramics a ceramicist (der Keramiker / die Keramikerin) or a potter (der Töpfer / die Töpferin).
Und das ist jetzt auch aus Keramik produziert? -Das ist aus Keramik.
And this is also produced now out of ceramic? -This is made of ceramic.
Caption 48, Karlsruher Stadtgeburtstag: die Majolika-Manufaktur
Play Caption
Das hat 1936 die Keramikerin Else Bach kreiert.
That was made in 1936 by the ceramicist Else Bach.
Caption 7, Majolika Karlsruhe: Der Bambi-Filmpreis
Play Caption
The next type of art in the visual arts category is drawing (das Zeichnen), and the drawing that results is called die Zeichnung. A person who creates drawings is called a drawer (der Zeichner / die Zeichnerin) or an illustrator (der Illustrator / die Illustratorin), but many people working in the visual arts also use drawings as preliminary sketches.
Warum haben Sie meine Zeichnung gefälscht?
Why did you forge my drawing?
Caption 39, Großstadtrevier: Nicht mit mir
Play Caption
Die Zeichner legen viel rein und du siehst es auch einfach.
The illustrators put a lot into it, and you notice that too.
Caption 54, Manga-und-Anime: Treffen in Mainz-Kastell
Play Caption
Now we come to painting (die Malerei), a field practiced by painters (der Maler / die Malerin; also der Kunstmaler, die Kunstmalerin), which is probably the traditional art form that most people think of when they think about art. The work resulting from an artist in this field is a painting (das Gemälde).
Die Malerei macht glücklich und beruhigt die Seele.
Painting makes me happy and soothes my soul.
Caption 41, Malerei: Ernst Mente
Play Caption
So kamen auch zwei Kunstwerke des italienischen Malers Gennaro Greco ins Haus.
By this means, two artworks by the Italian painter Gennaro Greco also came into the house.
Caption 12, Restituierung von Raubkunst: aus der Nazi-Zeit
Play Caption
Next comes photography (die Fotografie), practiced by photographers (der Fotograf / die Fotografin), which has many aspects that are not generally considered fine art, such as photojournalism for the news and commercial photography for advertising. The picture taken by a photographer is called a photograph (das Foto, or less commonly, das Lichtbild). The German word for "photographer," der Fotograf, sounds very similar to the English word "photograph," so beware of this false friend! Note too that with most of the German words above, it is acceptable German spelling to substitute most instances of "f" with "ph": die Photographie, der Photograph, and die Photographin. The tricky word Foto, however, may not be written with "ph"!
Wann hast du angefangen, dich für die Fotografie zu interessieren?
When did you start to get interested in photography?
Caption 5, Der Fotograf: Sven Siegrist
Play Caption
Was ist denn da genau als Fotograf zu beachten?
What exactly is there to consider as a photographer?
Caption 41, Der Fotograf: Sven Siegrist
Play Caption
The last form of visual arts is conceptual art (die Konzeptkunst), which may be defined as any contemporary art that does not use only the traditional visual art skills of painting or sculpture and so forth. A person who practices this art form is a conceptual artist (der Konzeptkünstler / die Konzeptkünstlerin). Since conceptual art may take the form of an installation, or a form that is not easily sold (in the way an object like a painting or sculpture can be sold), most conceptual artists live from art grants and other forms of financial support.
... hier bei der Eröffnung der aktuellen Ausstellung zur Konzeptkunst
... here at the opening of the current exhibition about conceptual art
Caption 8, Museum für Moderne Kunst
Play Caption
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and watch the videos above relating to art forms and professions. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in German using these art words, then compare what you both came up with.
Arme haben Arme
Arme haben Beine
Beine haben keine Arme
Arme Beine!
There are two versions of Arme in the above saying, one meaning "poor people" and the other meaning "arms." Actually, German has many homonyms: words that are spelled and pronounced the same, but have different meanings. These are called homonyms. It is especially important to know the genders of German homonyms, since you may wind up saying or writing something entirely different than you intend, merely because you got the gender wrong!
Die Band ist eingespielt; die Models wissen, wie sie laufen müssen.
The band has warmed up; the models know how they must walk.
Caption 29, Mode - Backstage auf der Modenschau
Play Caption
Allerdings ist es für die Fraport AG nicht das erste Band, das in diesem Jahr feierlich durchtrennt wurde.
However, this is not the first ribbon that was ceremoniously cut for the Fraport AG this year.
Caption 22, Rund um den Flughafen - Direktflug Frankfurt-Houston
Play Caption
In addition to die Band (the band, or musical group) and das Band (the ribbon), there is also a third meaning: der Band (the volume of a book). Be careful with your genders so that you don't wind up reading a rock band, cutting the volume of a book, or listening to a ribbon!
Der damalige Leiter des Museums Wiesbaden tauscht Kunst.
The former director of the Wiesbaden Museum trades art.
Caption 9, Restituierung von Raubkunst - aus der Nazi-Zeit
Play Caption
Der Herbst steht auf der Leiter [dative case of die Leiter] und malt die Blätter an.
Fall stands on the ladder and paints the leaves.
Caption 13, Sabine und Ivana - Gedichte im Bus
Play Caption
Der Leiter is the leader, director, or head of an organization, and die Leiter is a ladder. Here too, with the wrong gender you may wind up following the ladder or climbing up a director!
Further Learning:
Browse through Yabla videos and find the correct genders of some German homonyms. Here are some examples of homonyms with different genders: Erbe (inheritance vs. inheritor), Gehalt (salary vs. content), Junge (boy vs. young one), Heide (moor vs. heathen), Hut (hat vs. protection), Kiefer (pine tree vs. jaw), Lama (llama vs. Tibetan religious leader), Marsch (march vs. marsh), Messer (knife vs. measuring device), Pony (hairstyle vs. pony), Schild (sign vs. shield), See (sea vs. lake), Steuer (tax vs. steering wheel), Stift (pencil vs. monastery), Tau (rope vs. dew), Taube (pigeon vs. deaf person), Titan (giant vs. titanium), Tor (goal vs. fool), Verdienst (income vs. merit), and Weise (manner vs. wise person). The next lesson will be about German homonyms with the same gender, so put your learning caps on!
Compound Adjectives:
I invite you to take a journey with me back to the Middle Ages. At the Medieval Christmas Market, soul-snatcher Markus lures us to abandon ourselves to the vice of gambling. Of course, there is a reward involved!
Für jeden Mitspieler gibt es einen Edelstein
For every player there is a precious stone
des immerwährenden Glückes.
of everlasting happiness.
Caption 9, Mittelalterlicher Markt - Mäuseroulette
Play Caption
What makes this precious stone so enticing? The aspect that it's immerwährend, right? Immerwährendes Glück is something everyone dreams of. When you use compound adjectives you can include additional information in a sentence and still keep it compact. They prevent you from having to write lengthy versions like ...einen Edelstein des Glückes, das immer währt. This clause is grammatically correct and has the same meaning. (There is another compound adjective hidden in the above clip. See if you can find it!)
Compare the sentence lengths of the German and English clauses below.
Diesmal mit systemkonformen Kunstwerken.
This time with artworks in conformity with the system.
Caption 6, Restituierung von Raubkunst - aus der Nazi-Zeit
Play Caption
The words in bold emphasize clearly that compound adjectives can shorten a German sentence without having to omit any wanted information.
Have you seen and spoken this tongue-twister before? Kohlpechrabenschwarz (coal-pitch raven-black). If you haven't, try saying it just for fun! This compound adjective emphasizes the absolute blackness of something. So compound adjectives are also used to intensify and creatively underscore a noun's attributes in ways that one of the off-the-shelf variety cannot achieve.
Note: If you're searching for the definition of an adjective and aren't getting results, it may be a compound. In this case, break it into its component parts and search their meanings individually.
Learning Tip
Set small, achievable short-term goals. While watching the videos:
Finally, if progress is slow, keep at it. Take the long view. Recall where you started and how far you've come. Always bear in mind that learning a second language is a life-long endeavor that will enrich your life for years to come!
Spanish
French
Italian
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Italiano
Português
Deutsch
