Symphonie
/zʏmfoˈniː/feminine
The English word 'symphony' is translated into German as Sinfonie or Symphonie.
Meaning: piece of orchestral music (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Symphonie | /zʏmfoˈniː/ | feminine |
| Sinfonie | /ˌzɪnfoˈniː/ | feminine |
Both terms refer to a piece of orchestral music.
Which one should you use?
Sinfonie is the more common spelling in modern German. In contrast, Symphonie is often used in more formal or traditional musical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
These are feminine nouns and take the feminine article die. The plural form for both words is either Sinfonien or Symphonien.
How do you pronounce it?
/zʏmfoˈniː/
Did you know?
- German speakers often use the word Sinfonie to describe a complex sensory experience, such as a Sinfonie der Aromen to describe a meal with many flavors.
- The 'f' in Sinfonie is a result of the word being filtered through Italian, whereas the 'ph' in Symphonie preserves the original Greek-style spelling.
- In German musical scores, you might see the Italian word Sinfonia used instead of the German Sinfonie, as many musical terms follow Italian tradition.
Examples in context
- Wer hat diese Sinfonie komponiert?Who's the composer of this symphony?This sentence is useful for asking about the composer of a Sinfonie.Tatoeba #2272205 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2270557 by _undertoad
- In welcher Tonart ist die Sinfonie?What key is the symphony in?This sentence is useful for asking about the musical key of a Sinfonie.Tatoeba #12678625 by mayabe, translation #2751001 by sharptoothed
- Das vier Jahre alte Wunderkind komponierte eine Sinfonie.The four-year old prodigy composed a symphony.This sentence is useful for describing a prodigy who composed a Sinfonie.Tatoeba #5797721 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5794304 by Eccles17
- Die Berliner Philharmoniker spielen heute eine Symphonie von Beethoven.The Berlin Philharmonic is performing a symphony by Beethoven today.
- Sie haben eine wunderbare Sammlung von Symphonien aus verschiedenen Epochen.They have a wonderful collection of symphonies from various eras.
- Lass uns eine Sinfonie von Mozart hören!Let's listen to a symphony by Mozart!
- Die Sinfonie Nr. 5 von Beethoven ist sehr beliebt.Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is very popular.
- Wir haben die Symphonie gestern im Konzertsaal gehört.We listened to the symphony in the concert hall yesterday.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A concert hall during an intermission.
- SarahDie Symphonie war wirklich beeindruckend.The symphony was truly impressive.
- LukasJa, sie hat mich sehr bewegt.Yes, it moved me a lot.
- SarahWelche Symphonie gefällt dir am besten?Which symphony do you like best?
- LukasIch liebe die letzte Symphonie sehr.I love the last symphony very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “symphony” translations and entries Symphonie, Sinfonie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sinfonie, Symphonie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
