der Fußweg
sidewalk
A path intended for pedestrians, often parallel to a road; a sidewalk or pavement.
EXAMPLE
Kinder sollten auf dem Fußweg spielen und nicht auf der Fahrbahn.
Children should play on the sidewalk and not in the roadway.
der Fußweg
sidewalk / walking distance
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
der Fußweg
walking distance
The distance or time needed to reach a destination on foot.
EXAMPLE
Das Hotel liegt nur fünf Minuten Fußweg vom Strand entfernt.
The hotel is only a five-minute walk from the beach.
Usage tips
Compound word
'Der Fußweg' is a compound noun made up of 'der Fuß' (foot) and 'der Weg' (path/way). The meaning is literal: a path intended for use on foot.
EXAMPLE
Bitte fahre mit dem Fahrrad nicht auf dem Fußweg.
Please don't ride your bicycle on the sidewalk.
Regional variants
For the path beside the road (sidewalk), there are regional alternatives. In Austria and southern Germany, 'der Gehsteig' is common; in Switzerland, people often say 'das Trottoir'.
EXAMPLE
In Wien sind die Gehsteige oft sehr breit.
In Vienna, the sidewalks are often very wide.
Usage pattern: distance
When 'Fußweg' describes a distance or duration, it almost always appears together with a time expression. The typical structure is '[number] Minuten Fußweg' ([number] minutes' walk) or '[number] Stunden Fußweg' ([number] hours' walk).
EXAMPLE
Vom Bahnhof sind es nur zehn Minuten Fußweg bis zu unserem Haus.
From the train station, it is only a ten-minute walk to our house.
Compare with
Fußweg vs Gehweg
sidewalk
Gehweg and Fußweg can both refer to a path for pedestrians. Gehweg normally means the paved area beside a street, separated from the roadway. Fußweg is broader and can also refer to a separate path away from the street; in that case, this word is usually more suitable.
Fußweg
Durch den Park führt ein ruhiger Fußweg zur Bushaltestelle.
A quiet footpath through the park leads to the bus stop.
Gehweg
Neben der viel befahrenen Straße führt ein schmaler Gehweg zur Bushaltestelle.
A narrow sidewalk beside the busy road leads to the bus stop.
In real life
Loading video examples...