die Bucht
bay
A wide, curved part of a coast where the sea reaches into the land and which often serves as a natural harbor.
EXAMPLE
Das Schiff ankerte in einer kleinen, windgeschützten Bucht.
The ship anchored in a small, sheltered bay.
die Bucht
bay
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word 'Bucht' (bay) is related to the verb 'biegen' (to bend). A bay is therefore literally a 'Biegung' (bend) in the coastline, where the land makes a curve.
EXAMPLE
Die Straße macht hier eine starke Biegung nach links.
The road makes a sharp bend to the left here.
Typical collocations
'Bucht' (bay) is often combined with adjectives like 'klein' (small), 'malerisch' (picturesque), or 'windgeschützt' (sheltered from the wind). It is also frequently used for geographical names, such as 'die Bucht von San Francisco' (the Bay of San Francisco).
EXAMPLE
Wir machten ein Picknick in einer malerischen Bucht.
We had a picnic in a picturesque bay.
Correct preposition
To describe a location, you use 'in der Bucht' (in the bay, dative). To describe movement toward it, you say 'in die Bucht' (into the bay, accusative).
EXAMPLE
Mehrere Segelboote liegen in der Bucht vor Anker.
Several sailboats are anchored in the bay.
Compare with
Bucht vs Golf
gulf / golf
Golf and Bucht both refer to a part of the sea that extends into the land. However, a Golf is a particularly large Bucht that reaches far into the land. Bucht is the better term for an ordinary curved section of coastline.
Bucht
Die geschützte Bucht an der Küste dient den Fischern als Hafen.
The sheltered bay on the coast serves as a harbor for the fishermen.
Golf
Der große Golf reicht viele Kilometer weit in das Land hinein.
The large gulf extends many kilometers into the land.
In real life
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