01
das Heck
rear / stern
The rear part of a vehicle, especially a car, airplane, or ship.
example
Am Heck des Autos war ein Fahrradträger montiert.
A bike rack was mounted on the rear of the car.
das Heck
rear / stern
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Meanings
Usage tips
False friend
'Heck' sounds like the English expletive 'heck', but it simply means 'the rear part' of a vehicle. The similarity is purely coincidental.
EXAMPLE
Die Rückleuchten befinden sich am Heck des Wagens.
The taillights are located at the rear of the car.
Correct preposition
To describe a position at the rear part of a vehicle, German usually uses the preposition 'am' (on/at the outside) or 'im' (inside).
EXAMPLE
Der Firmenname stand groß am Heck des Busses.
The company name was written in large letters on the rear of the bus.
Usage context
The word 'Heck' (rear/stern) is not limited to cars. It is also used for the rear part of ships and airplanes.
EXAMPLE
Vom Heck des Schiffes aus hatten wir eine tolle Aussicht auf das Meer.
From the stern of the ship, we had a great view of the sea.
Compare with
Heck vs Schwanz
tail / dick
'der Schwanz' and 'das Heck' can both refer to a rear part. 'Schwanz' is used mainly for animals and sometimes for elongated things like a comet. 'Heck' is used for the rear part of a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes, or ships. The words can be confused because both point toward the back. As a practical rule: an animal has a 'Schwanz', while a car has a 'Heck'.
Heck
Nach dem Unfall war das Heck des Autos stark beschädigt.
After the accident, the rear of the car was badly damaged.
Schwanz
Der Komet hatte am Nachthimmel einen hellen Schwanz.
The comet had a bright tail in the night sky.
In real life
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