die Gasse
alley
A very narrow street, often in old towns or between rows of houses.
EXAMPLE
In den engen Gassen von Venedig kann man sich leicht verlaufen.
In the narrow alleys of Venice, it is easy to get lost.
die Gasse
alley
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
eine Gasse bilden
to form a passage
A fixed expression meaning that a crowd steps aside to create a clear path, for example for emergency services.
EXAMPLE
Die Schaulustigen bildeten eine Gasse für den Krankenwagen.
The onlookers formed a passage for the ambulance.
Usage tips
Typical adjectives
'Gasse' (alley) is very often combined with adjectives that describe its narrowness or atmosphere. Common examples are 'enge Gasse' (narrow alley), 'schmale Gasse' (narrow alley), 'verwinkelte Gasse' (winding alley), or 'dunkle Gasse' (dark alley).
EXAMPLE
Wir gingen durch eine schmale Gasse, um zum Marktplatz zu gelangen.
We walked through a narrow alley to get to the market square.
Context: old town
The word 'Gasse' (alley) is typically used for streets in historic city centers, known as 'Altstädte' (old towns). It often conveys a sense of history and tradition.
EXAMPLE
Die Altstadt ist berühmt für ihre malerischen Gassen.
The old town is famous for its picturesque alleys.
Fixed expression
The expression 'eine Gasse bilden' (to form a passage) is a fixed collocation. It means that a crowd steps aside to create a clear path in the middle.
EXAMPLE
Als der Star ankam, bildeten die Fans eine Gasse für ihn.
When the star arrived, the fans formed a passage for him.
The emergency corridor
A very important special case is the 'Rettungsgasse' (emergency corridor). On German highways, drivers are legally required to form a passage for emergency vehicles such as ambulances or police cars when there is a traffic jam.
EXAMPLE
Bei einem Stau auf der Autobahn muss sofort eine Rettungsgasse gebildet werden.
In a traffic jam on the highway, an emergency corridor must be formed immediately.
Compare with
Gasse vs Fahrbahn
roadway
Die Gasse refers to the entire narrow route, usually between buildings. Die Fahrbahn is only the part of such a route intended for vehicles. A Gasse can also have a Fahrbahn if vehicles are allowed to travel there.
Gasse
Die schmale Gasse zwischen den alten Häusern wird heute gesperrt.
The narrow alley between the old buildings is being closed today.
Fahrbahn
Die Fahrbahn der engen Altstadtgasse wird heute repariert.
The roadway of the narrow alley in the old town is being repaired today.
In real life
Loading video examples...