What does “Quadratur des Kreises” mean?
Da Vincis vitruvianischer Mensch: Geometrie und Philosophie erklärt
B2 German listening practice · Standard German · Picked for people who know more
Explaining Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man, the video reaches for an ancient puzzle: «Das wird oft als Quadratur des Kreises bezeichnet» (“this is often called squaring the circle”). The Quadratur des Kreises is the geometry problem of building a square with exactly the area of a given circle, proven impossible because of pi.
Like English, German uses it as an idiom for any hopeless, self-contradictory task: “Das ist die Quadratur des Kreises” means “that simply can’t be done.” Politicians “versuchen die Quadratur des Kreises” when they juggle demands that cancel each other out. A handy phrase for the impossible ask at work.
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Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸German educational documentaries on math and art history, in the style of Arte.
- ▸German political commentary describing impossible compromises.
- ▸In German discussions of Leonardo da Vinci and Renaissance science.
- ▸Everyday German for a no-win problem at work or home.