Expressionismus

Expressionism (early 20th-century German art movement)

noun ex-preh-syo-NIS-moos Rare

Origin: from Latin expressio, expression

Usage Note

Expressionismus is a movement that distorts form and uses intense colour to convey inner emotion rather than outward reality. Groups Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter are its main German manifestations.

Examples

"Der Expressionismus wandte sich bewusst gegen die schöne Oberfläche des Impressionismus."

Natural Translation

Expressionism deliberately turned against the beautiful surface of Impressionism.

Literal Translation

The Expressionism turned itself deliberately against the beautiful surface of the Impressionism.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

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

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Particles: doch, mal, ja, eben

German modal particles doch, mal, ja, and eben add attitude, not meaning. Before/after examples show how to use each one so your German stops sounding stiff.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read