Vocabulary
der
Duktus
/ˈdʊktʊs/· noun· Pl. die Duktus
characteristic style, tone (of a text or speaker); stroke (of handwriting or a brush)
What makes a text sound like its author: rhythm, word choice, sentence length. Editors talk about it when they want to keep a writer's voice while they cut.
CEFR C1Frequency ●●●●●gehoben
Your memory
New
Learning
Familiar
Strong
Mastered
Forms
- Singular
- der Duktus
- Plural
- die Duktus
- Genitiv
- des Duktus
One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
Duktus
characteristic style or tone of a text
Der Duktus des Briefes ist höflich, aber kühl.
The tone of the letter is polite but cool.
Word family
Duktusder Sprachduktusmanner of speaking or writingder Erzählduktusnarrative style
Common combinations
- ein nüchterner Duktusa sober style
- im Duktus eines Amtsschreibensin the style of an official letter
- den Duktus des Autors bewahrento preserve the author's style
Similar & opposite
≈ Synonyms
der Stilder Tonfall
Common learner mistakes
- die Duktendie DuktusThe rare plural looks like the singular: die Duktus, spoken with a long u at the end ([ˈdʊktuːs]). Most of the time you only need the singular.
Real examples
- Beim Redigieren wollen wir den Duktus der Autorin nicht zerstören.When editing we don't want to destroy the author's style.
- Der Text hat den Duktus einer Predigt.The text has the tone of a sermon.
- Ihr Duktus ist knapp und trocken.Her style is terse and dry.
