building
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building
A structure with a roof and walls that was built by people in order to live, work, or store things in it.
Das alte Gebäude am Marktplatz wird gerade renoviert.
The old building on the market square is currently being renovated.
'Gebäude' (building) derives from the verb 'bauen' (to build). The prefix 'Ge-' forms a collective word here that means 'das Gebaute' (what has been built). This structure is also found in words like 'Gebirge' (mountain range, many mountains) or 'Gemälde' (painting, what has been painted).
Die Firma hat ein neues Bürogebäude gebaut.
The company built a new office building.
Pay attention to the case with prepositions: 'in das Gebäude gehen' (to go into the building, accusative) describes movement into it, while 'in dem Gebäude sein' (to be in the building, dative) describes a fixed location.
Die Feuerwehrleute rannten sofort in das brennende Gebäude.
The firefighters immediately ran into the burning building.
Common verbs in connection with 'Gebäude' (building) describe its life cycle: 'ein Gebäude errichten' (to construct/build a building), 'renovieren' (to renovate), and 'abreißen' (to demolish).
Das alte Fabrikgebäude wurde letztes Jahr abgerissen.
The old factory building was demolished last year.
'Gebäude' (building) is often described with adjectives like 'historisch' (historic), 'modern' (modern), 'öffentlich' (public), 'verlassen' (abandoned), or 'denkmalgeschützt' (listed/protected as a historic monument).
In der Altstadt stehen viele historische Gebäude.
There are many historic buildings in the old town.
house
Haus and Gebäude can refer to the same object when talking about a residential structure. Haus is the everyday term and often puts living in the building in the foreground; Gebäude describes the structure in a functional and neutral way. Gebäude is more appropriate for factual information about the structure itself.
Dieses Gebäude wird vor dem Kauf gründlich auf Schäden geprüft.
This building will be thoroughly inspected for damage before it is purchased.
Dieses Haus haben wir gekauft, weil unsere Familie darin wohnen möchte.
We bought this house because our family wants to live in it.
