width / breadth
die Breite, die Breiten
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width
The extent of an object or surface from one side to the other. It is usually given in meters, centimeters, or another unit of measurement.
Vor dem Kauf haben wir die Breite des Schranks genau gemessen.
Before buying it, we measured the width of the cabinet precisely.
latitude
The geographic position of a place north or south of the equator, given as latitude in degrees.
Die Stadt liegt auf der gleichen geografischen Breite wie Rom.
The city lies at the same latitude as Rome.
breadth
The overall diversity, range, or scope of a topic, selection, or field.
Die Breite des kulturellen Angebots ist in dieser Stadt beeindruckend.
The breadth of the cultural offerings in this city is impressive.
to broaden / become more diverse
To expand or become more diverse without necessarily gaining depth.
Die Diskussion ging schnell in die Breite und verlor ihren ursprünglichen Schwerpunkt.
The discussion quickly broadened and lost its original focus.
to put on weight
Colloquial: to become heavier and increase in body size.
Er ist in den letzten Jahren ziemlich in die Breite gegangen.
He has put on quite a bit of weight in recent years.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Breiten |
| genitive | der Breite |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Breite | die Breiten |
| accusative | die Breite | die Breiten |
| dative | der Breite | den Breiten |
| genitive | der Breite | der Breiten |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
‘Breite’ (width) is formed from the adjective ‘breit’ (wide) and the ending ‘-e’. The ending turns the property into a noun that describes a measurable or general extent.
Die Breite des Flusses nimmt an dieser Stelle deutlich zu.
The width of the river increases considerably at this point.
When referring to specific measurements, ‘Breite’ (width) is often used with a genitive or with ‘von’ (of) and a measurement. Typical sentence patterns are ‘die Breite des Gegenstands beträgt …’ (the width of the object is …) and ‘eine Breite von … haben’ (to have a width of …).
Die Breite des Tisches beträgt 1,20 Meter.
The table is 1.20 meters wide.
Der Weg hat an dieser Stelle eine Breite von drei Metern.
At this point, the path is three meters wide.
In its geographic meaning, ‘Breite’ (latitude) is often used with the words ‘Grad’ (degrees), ‘nördlich’ (north), or ‘südlich’ (south). The location is often given as ‘auf … Grad nördlicher oder südlicher Breite’ (at … degrees north or south latitude).
Die Forschungsstation liegt auf 66 Grad südlicher Breite.
The research station is located at 66 degrees south latitude.
In the meaning of ‘diversity or range’, ‘Breite’ (breadth) often combines with ‘Angebot’ (selection), ‘Thema’ (topic), or ‘Spektrum’ (spectrum). The expression ‘in voller Breite’ (in its full breadth) also emphasizes that something is considered in its entirety.
Die Ausstellung zeigt das Werk der Künstlerin in voller Breite.
The exhibition presents the artist’s work in its full breadth.
In ‘in die Breite gehen’ (to broaden), ‘in’ is used with the accusative because the expression describes an expansion or development. Words such as ‘Diskussion’ (discussion), ‘Thema’ (topic), or ‘Projekt’ (project) often refer to the process.
Die Forschung zu diesem Thema geht eher in die Breite als in die Tiefe.
Research on this topic tends to broaden rather than deepen.
