Singspiel

Singspiel; German musical theater with spoken dialogue

noun ZING-shpeel Rare

Usage Note

Singspiel is an 18th-century German-language theater genre mixing spoken dialogue and song. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Die Entführung aus dem Serail are the most famous examples. It influenced later operetta.

Examples

"Mozarts Singspiele vereinen Komödie mit musikalischer Raffinesse."

Natural Translation

Mozart's Singspiele combine comedy with musical refinement.

Literal Translation

Mozart's Singspiele unite comedy with musical refinement.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German False Friends: 25 Words That Trick You

German false friends like Gift (poison) and bekommen (to receive) trick English speakers daily. Here are 25 words that mean the opposite of what you'd guess.

June 5, 2026 5 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

Bitte in German: Please, You're Welcome, and More

Bitte means please, you're welcome, here you go, and pardon in German. Learn all the meanings, bitte schön vs bitte sehr, and the danke-bitte rule.

June 5, 2026 5 min read