German word

Charakter

Pronunciation

IPA/kaˈʁaktɐ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpersonality

Example

Man erkennt den Charakter einer Person an ihrem Verhalten.

You can tell a person's personality from their behavior.

Illustration for Charakter (personality)

More examples

Sie hat einen netten Charakter.

She has a nice personality.

Core concept

A recognizable inner signature, shown by a person's repeated choices and reactions and by a fictional figure's distinctive identity.

Common phrases

  • einen netten Charakter haben

    have a nice personality

  • einen starken Charakter haben

    have a strong character

Similar words

Eigenschaft: A particular quality or distinguishing feature of a person or thing.
Persönlichkeit: The complete picture of a person's typical thoughts, feelings, and attitudes.
Verhalten: The way a person acts and conducts themselves in specific situations.
Charakterzug: A distinctive tendency that repeatedly appears in a person's character.

Definition in German

Das dauerhafte Muster von Einstellungen und Reaktionen, das eine Person von anderen unterscheidet.

Word origin

Greek charaktēr meant an engraved mark or sign, and German Charakter came through Latin with the related idea of a distinctive mark applied to a person or fictional figure.

Usage tips

  • Charakter is masculine, with the plural Charaktere; Figur is also common when referring specifically to a fictional character.

Other meanings

  • characternoun
  • fictional characternoun

Related words

Word lists with this word