A form of vacation or leisure activity in which you spend the night in a tent, caravan, or motorhome, usually in nature at a campsite.
example
Für uns ist Camping die schönste Art, den Sommer zu verbringen.
For us, camping is the nicest way to spend the summer.
Usage tips
Part of speech and origin
'Camping' is a nominalized verb from English. Like many such words ending in '-ing', it is used as a noun in German and is neuter (das Camping).
EXAMPLE
Das Camping am Meer ist im Sommer sehr beliebt.
Camping by the sea is very popular in summer.
Sentence structure and usage
As an activity, 'Camping' is often combined with the verb 'machen' (to do). When referring to going there, you say 'zum Camping fahren' (to go camping by vehicle) or 'zum Camping gehen' (to go camping).
EXAMPLE
Wir wollen nächstes Wochenende am See Camping machen.
We want to go camping by the lake next weekend.
Typical collocations
A common and important collocation is 'wildes Camping' (wild camping). This means spending the night in nature outside official campsites, which is usually prohibited in Germany.
EXAMPLE
Wildes Camping kann in Naturschutzgebieten teuer werden.
Wild camping can become expensive in nature reserves.