paraphrasieren

to paraphrase

verb pa-ra-fra-ZEE-ren Rare

Origin: from Greek paraphrasis via Latin

Usage Note

paraphrasieren means to restate a text in different words, preserving the meaning. It is a key skill in academic writing (wissenschaftliches Schreiben) for avoiding plagiarism while referencing sources.

Examples

"Anstatt direkt zu zitieren, paraphrasierte sie den Kerngedanken."

Natural Translation

Instead of quoting directly, she paraphrased the key idea.

Literal Translation

Instead of directly to quote, she paraphrased the core-thought.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Greetings by Region: Grüß Gott to Grüezi

German greetings change by region: say Moin in Hamburg, Grüß Gott in Bavaria, Grüezi in Switzerland. A map of every hello and goodbye, plus du vs. Sie.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read