cemetery
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cemetery
A defined area of land where deceased people are buried in graves. Often there is also a chapel there for funeral services.
Wir besuchen am Sonntag das Grab unserer Großeltern auf dem Friedhof.
On Sunday, we are visiting our grandparents' grave at the cemetery.
graveyard
In a figurative sense, a place where a large number of old, non-functioning, or unused things are collected, such as a scrapyard.
Seine Garage ist ein wahrer Friedhof für alte Computer und Elektronikteile.
His garage is a real graveyard for old computers and electronic parts.
The word 'Friedhof' (cemetery) is made up of 'Friede(n)' (peace) and 'Hof' (yard/court). So it literally describes a 'yard of peace', a resting place for the deceased.
Viele alte Friedhöfe sind wie Parks angelegt und strahlen eine friedliche Atmosphäre aus.
Many old cemeteries are laid out like parks and radiate a peaceful atmosphere.
To describe movement, German uses 'auf den Friedhof gehen' (to go to the cemetery). To describe a place where someone is located, you say 'auf dem Friedhof sein' (to be at the cemetery).
Er geht jeden Sonntag auf den Friedhof, um das Grab zu pflegen.
He goes to the cemetery every Sunday to tend the grave.
Common verbs in connection with the cemetery are 'ein Grab besuchen' (to visit a grave), 'Blumen niederlegen' (to lay flowers), and 'beerdigt werden' (to be buried).
Meine Urgroßmutter wurde auf diesem Friedhof beerdigt.
My great-grandmother was buried in this cemetery.
The figurative meaning can be recognized when the context is about a collection of old, broken objects. The word often then becomes part of a compound such as 'Autofriedhof' (car graveyard) or 'Schiffsfriedhof' (ship graveyard).
Hinter der alten Fabrik befindet sich ein riesiger Autofriedhof.
Behind the old factory there is a huge car graveyard.
churchyard
A Friedhof is generally an area with graves for deceased people. A Kirchhof is more specific: it is located directly around a church and is traditionally often enclosed by a wall. Friedhof is appropriate for any such burial place, while Kirchhof is more precise for an area near a church.
Die Familie besucht am Sonntag den Friedhof am Stadtrand.
The family visits the cemetery on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.
Auf dem alten Kirchhof rund um die Dorfkirche stehen viele historische Grabsteine.
Many historic gravestones stand in the old churchyard around the village church.
