construction work
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construction work
The activity of building or repairing buildings, roads, or other structures. It is very often used in the plural in German.
Wegen Bauarbeiten ist die Autobahn teilweise gesperrt.
Because of construction work, the highway is partially closed.
The word is made up of 'Bau' (construction) and 'Arbeit' (work). 'Der Bau' is the noun related to the verb 'bauen' (to build). So it literally means 'work that has to do with building.'
Die Bauarbeiten am neuen Bahnhof dauern länger als geplant.
The construction work on the new train station is taking longer than planned.
Although the singular form 'die Bauarbeit' exists, the word is almost always used in the plural, 'die Bauarbeiten' (construction works/construction work). This is because it usually refers to a variety of activities on a construction site.
Die Bauarbeiten sollen nächsten Monat abgeschlossen sein.
The construction work is supposed to be completed next month.
A very common combination is the preposition 'wegen' (because of) + 'Bauarbeiten' (construction work), to give the cause of a disruption, for example in traffic. Other typical verbs are 'durchführen' (to carry out) or 'beginnen' (to begin).
Wegen Bauarbeiten kommt es zu Verspätungen im Zugverkehr.
Because of construction work, there are delays in train traffic.
construction / building
'der Bau' and 'die Bauarbeit' both have to do with constructing or repairing buildings and other structures. 'der Bau' more often means the whole process, or colloquially also the place where construction is happening. 'die Bauarbeit' means the concrete activity, that is, the work on a construction site, often with machines, tools, or materials. The plural 'Bauarbeiten' is especially common. Learners may confuse the words because both belong to the topic of building. As a practical rule: for the project or process, you are more likely to say 'der Bau'; for the individual works, 'die Bauarbeiten' is more likely.
Wegen der Bauarbeiten ist die Straße vor dem Haus gesperrt.
Because of the construction work, the road in front of the house is closed.
Der Bau der neuen Brücke dauert noch bis zum Herbst.
The construction of the new bridge will continue until autumn.