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
When referring to an airplane, Schwanz and Heck can mean the same rear section. Heck is the usual factual term for the rear part of a vehicle; Schwanz sounds figurative because of the similar shape. Heck is therefore appropriate in factual descriptions, while Schwanz can be used in a vivid description.
Heck
Der Mechaniker zeigt auf das Heck des Flugzeugs.
The mechanic points to the rear of the airplane.
Schwanz
Das Kind zeigt auf den Schwanz des Flugzeugs.
The child points to the tail of the airplane.
In real life
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