abbey
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abbey
A monastery or convent led by an abbot or abbess. The term refers both to the community of monks or nuns and to the group of buildings.
Die mittelalterliche Abtei kann heute besichtigt werden.
The medieval abbey can be visited today.
The word 'Abtei' (abbey) is closely related to 'der Abt' (male head of a monastery, abbot) and 'die Äbtissin' (female head of a convent, abbess). The ending '-ei' often denotes a place connected with the activity or person from the word stem, as in 'Bäckerei' (bakery).
Der Abt ist für die Leitung der Abtei verantwortlich.
The abbot is responsible for running the abbey.
In connection with 'Abtei' (abbey), verbs are often used that relate to history, religion, or tourism. Typical phrases are 'eine Abtei gründen' (to found an abbey), 'eine Abtei besichtigen' (to visit/tour an abbey), or 'in einer Abtei leben' (to live in an abbey).
Im Urlaub haben wir eine sehr alte Abtei in den Bergen besichtigt.
On vacation, we visited a very old abbey in the mountains.
Pay attention to the difference with the preposition 'in': 'in die Abtei gehen' (to go into/to the abbey, accusative) describes movement there, while 'in der Abtei sein' (to be in the abbey, dative) describes staying at that place.
Die Mönche beten in der Abtei.
The monks pray in the abbey.
monastery
'Kloster' and 'Abtei' both refer to a religious place and also to the community that lives there. 'Kloster' is the more general term: it is where monks or nuns live according to fixed rules. An 'Abtei' is a special type of monastery, namely a monastery led by an abbot or abbess. Learners may confuse the words because in everyday language the building is often what is meant. If you are not specifically talking about the leadership or special status, 'Kloster' is usually the simpler and more general word.
Die Abtei wird seit vielen Jahren von einer Äbtissin geleitet.
The abbey has been led by an abbess for many years.
Im Urlaub haben wir ein altes Kloster in den Bergen besucht.
On vacation, we visited an old monastery in the mountains.