das Downtown
downtown
A term borrowed from English for the city center or business district, especially in North American cities.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben ein Hotel direkt in Downtown Chicago gebucht.
We booked a hotel right in downtown Chicago.
das Downtown
downtown
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Meanings
Usage tips
Anglicism
'Downtown' is a word borrowed directly from English. In German, it is often used without an article, especially with the preposition 'in'.
EXAMPLE
Er arbeitet in Downtown in einem großen Bürogebäude.
He works downtown in a large office building.
Context: North America
This word is used almost exclusively for the city centers of North American cities. Other terms are common for German cities.
EXAMPLE
In ihrem Urlaub haben sie die Wolkenkratzer in Downtown Toronto besichtigt.
On their vacation, they visited the skyscrapers in downtown Toronto.
Sentence structure
When 'Downtown' is used as a place reference, it often comes after the preposition and functions like a proper name, for example 'in Downtown' (in downtown) or 'nach Downtown' (to downtown).
EXAMPLE
Am Abend fahren wir nach Downtown, um ins Kino zu gehen.
In the evening, we're going downtown to go to the movies.
Compare with
Downtown vs City
city center
City and das Downtown can refer to a central business district. City is a Germanized term for the center of a larger city, while Downtown sounds more English and is especially associated with North American cities. In a German urban context, City is usually the better choice; for North American cities, Downtown is more appropriate.
Downtown
Das Downtown von New York ist tagsüber voller Menschen.
Downtown New York is crowded with people during the day.
City
Die City von Hamburg ist tagsüber voller Menschen.
Hamburg's city center is crowded with people during the day.
In real life
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