kahl
bald
Without hair on the head; having a bald head.
EXAMPLE
Er trägt eine Mütze, weil sein Kopf kahl ist.
He wears a hat because his head is bald.
kahl
bald / bare
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Meanings
kahl
bare
Without leaves, plants, or other vegetation. Often used for trees in winter or landscapes.
EXAMPLE
Im Herbst werden die Äste der Laubbäume kahl.
In autumn, the branches of deciduous trees become bare.
kahl
bare
Empty, unfurnished, and undecorated. Refers to rooms or walls.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Auszug wirkte die Wohnung groß und kahl.
After the move-out, the apartment looked large and bare.
Usage tips
Context clue
The word 'kahl' (bald/bare) has a different meaning depending on the context. The noun it describes makes it clear whether it is about a head without hair, a tree without leaves, or an empty room.
EXAMPLE
Ein kahler Kopf braucht im Winter eine Mütze.
A bald head needs a hat in winter.
Typical collocations
When talking about hair, 'kahl' (bald) is often used in the combinations 'ein kahler Kopf' (a bald head) or 'eine kahle Stelle' (a bald spot) on the head.
EXAMPLE
Viele Männer bekommen mit dem Alter eine kahle Stelle am Hinterkopf.
Many men get a bald spot on the back of their head as they age.
Typical collocations
In nature, 'kahl' (bare) often describes trees, branches, or entire landscapes without vegetation. Typical combinations are 'kahle Bäume' (bare trees), 'kahle Äste' (bare branches), or 'ein kahler Felsen' (a bare rock).
EXAMPLE
Die Landschaft war nach dem Brand schwarz und kahl.
After the fire, the landscape was black and bare.
Typical collocations
For rooms and surfaces, 'kahl' (bare) means unfurnished or undecorated. People often speak of 'kahle Wände' (bare walls), 'ein kahles Zimmer' (a bare room), or 'eine kahle Wohnung' (a bare apartment).
EXAMPLE
Ohne Bilder an den Wänden sieht das Zimmer sehr kahl aus.
Without pictures on the walls, the room looks very bare.
Compare with
kahl vs leer
empty
Both words can describe a room without furnishings. Leer mainly says that there is nothing in it, while kahl additionally conveys a plain and bare impression. Use leer for the absence of objects and kahl when the lack of decoration is also being emphasized.
kahl
Das Zimmer wirkte kahl, weil neben den Möbeln auch Bilder und Vorhänge fehlten.
The room looked bare because, besides the furniture, it also lacked pictures and curtains.
leer
Das Zimmer war leer, weil die Möbel bereits umgezogen waren.
The room was empty because the furniture had already been moved.
In real life
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