Belt
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Belt
A term for the straits between the Danish peninsula of Jutland and the Danish islands, which connect the Baltic Sea with the Kattegat. The best known are the Great Belt and the Little Belt.
Die Brücke über den Großen Belt ist ein beeindruckendes Bauwerk.
The bridge over the Great Belt is an impressive structure.
In German, the word 'Belt' is used almost exclusively as a geographical proper name for the straits in Denmark: 'der Große Belt' (the Great Belt) and 'der Kleine Belt' (the Little Belt). It is not a general word for a strait.
Um nach Seeland zu kommen, muss man den Großen Belt überqueren.
To get to Zealand, you have to cross the Great Belt.
'Belt' is a loanword from Danish, where 'bælt' means 'belt'. The straits were figuratively described as a 'belt' of water.
Die Namen Großer und Kleiner Belt stammen direkt aus dem Dänischen.
The names Great and Little Belt come directly from Danish.
In connection with the Belt, verbs of crossing such as 'überqueren' (to cross), 'durchfahren' (to pass through/sail through), or 'passieren' (to pass) are often used, usually together with a 'Brücke' (bridge) or 'Fähre' (ferry).
Früher gab es nur eine Fähre über den Großen Belt.
In the past, there was only a ferry across the Great Belt.
canal / channel
'der Kanal' and 'der Belt' can both refer to waterways. However, a 'Kanal' is artificially constructed and is built, for example, for ships or for irrigation. 'Der Belt' is not a general word for every waterway, but refers to specific straits in Denmark, for example the Great Belt or the Little Belt. The words can be confusing because both can look like connections between bodies of water on maps. For a built waterway, you say 'Kanal'; for these Danish straits, you say 'Belt'.
Die Brücke über den Großen Belt verbindet zwei dänische Inseln.
The bridge over the Great Belt connects two Danish islands.
Im Urlaub sind wir mit dem Boot durch einen langen Kanal gefahren.
On vacation, we traveled by boat through a long canal.