embankment
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embankment / slope
An artificially created or naturally formed sloping surface of earth or rock, for example along roads, railway tracks, or bodies of water.
Das Auto kam von der Fahrbahn ab und rutschte die Böschung hinunter.
The car left the roadway and slid down the embankment.
'Böschung' (embankment/slope) is often combined with verbs of movement that describe downward or upward motion. Typical phrases are 'die Böschung hinunterrutschen' (to slide down the embankment), 'hinunterfahren' (to drive down), or 'hinaufklettern' (to climb up).
Die Kinder ließen ihre Spielzeugautos die steile Böschung hinunterrollen.
The children let their toy cars roll down the steep embankment.
Pay attention to the prepositions: 'an der Böschung' (on/along the embankment) or 'auf der Böschung' (on the embankment) describe a location. Directions are often expressed without a preposition, using adverbs such as 'hinauf' (up) or 'hinunter' (down).
An der Böschung neben dem Bahngleis wachsen wilde Blumen.
Wildflowers grow on the embankment next to the railway track.
The word 'Böschung' (embankment/slope) is very often found in the context of transport routes and bodies of water. For example, people speak of a 'Straßenböschung' (roadside embankment), 'Autobahnböschung' (motorway embankment), 'Bahnböschung' (railway embankment), or 'Uferböschung' (bank slope).
Entlang der Bahnböschung wurden neue Bäume gepflanzt.
New trees were planted along the railway embankment.
bank / shore
'das Ufer' and 'die Böschung' can both occur by a body of water. 'Ufer' means the area directly by the water. 'Böschung' mainly means a sloping surface of earth or stone. It can be by a river, but also along a road or railway tracks. The words can be confused when the edge of a river is steep and sloped. In that case, you can speak of 'eine Böschung am Ufer' (an embankment/slope on the bank). 'Ufer' fits when the water is important; 'Böschung' fits when the sloping surface is important.
Nach dem starken Regen ist die Böschung neben der Straße abgerutscht.
After the heavy rain, the embankment next to the road slipped.
Nach dem Picknick sitzen wir noch lange am Ufer des Sees.
After the picnic, we sit for a long time on the shore of the lake.