Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka

6.1
A Czech writer who writes in German about strange situations like a bad dream and lonely people
  • proper noun
  • /frænts ˈkæfkə/
translation icon : Franz Kafka
  • Franz Kafka wrote 'The Metamorphosis' in 1915.

Examples

  • Students in the literature class discussed the existential themes found in Franz Kafka's novels.

  • Many readers find Franz Kafka's works both disturbing and thought-provoking.

  • The surreal, bureaucratic nightmare described by Franz Kafka has influenced countless authors.

  • Many consider Franz Kafka a pioneer of existential literature.

  • Many readers find Franz Kafka's works both disturbing and thought-provoking.

  • The surreal, bureaucratic nightmare described by Franz Kafka has influenced countless authors.

  • Students in the literature class discussed the existential themes found in Franz Kafka's novels.

Synonyms

Kafka
vsFranz Kafka
82 7.1

A Czech-born writer who wrote strange, nightmarish stories about feeling alone

is identical in meaning but uses slightly different wording

Surface Forms

Franz Kafka main

Morphology

Franz + Kafka

This item is a proper name referring to a specific individual rather than a compositional phrase; its referent (the Czech novelist and his literary themes) is encyclopedic information that cannot be derived from the parts 'Franz' and 'Kafka'. Knowledge of the constituent words does not allow a B1 learner to infer the biographical or literary meaning, so prior cultural or encyclopedic knowledge is required.

Etymology

The name Franz Kafka brings to mind strange, dream-like stories about people trapped in confusing systems. One clear image is his story 'The Metamorphosis', where a man wakes up as a giant insect, and that is why his name is used for things that feel 'strange', 'unreal', or like a 'nightmare'.