kayak
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kayak
A small, narrow boat, usually designed for one or two people, that is moved with a double-bladed paddle. It is closed on top except for one or more seating openings.
Im Urlaub sind wir mit dem Kajak auf dem See gepaddelt.
On vacation, we paddled across the lake in a kayak.
The most common activity is 'Kajak fahren' (to kayak / to go kayaking). In spoken language, this combination is often treated like a separable verb.
Am Wochenende fahren wir auf dem Fluss Kajak.
At the weekend, we're going kayaking on the river.
To describe movement and position in relation to the boat, three prepositions are important: you go 'mit dem Kajak' (by kayak / with the kayak, instrument), you sit 'im Kajak' (in the kayak, position), and you get 'ins Kajak' (into the kayak, direction).
Wir sind mit dem Kajak bis zur kleinen Insel gepaddelt.
We paddled by kayak all the way to the small island.
An essential feature of the kayak is the paddle used to move it. This is called a 'Doppelpaddel' (double-bladed paddle), because it has a paddle blade at both ends.
Mir ist mein Doppelpaddel ins Wasser gefallen.
My double-bladed paddle fell into the water.
boat
'das Boot' and 'das Kajak' both refer to small vehicles on water. However, 'Boot' is the more general expression. It can mean many kinds of small watercraft, for example a rowboat, motorboat, or sailboat. 'Kajak' is more precise: it is narrow, usually for one or two people, and is moved with a double-bladed paddle. So you can say: a kayak is a boat, but not every boat is a kayak. The words can be confused if you are only thinking of a small watercraft. If the exact type is important, 'Kajak' fits better.
Für die Tour auf dem Fluss nimmt Sofia ein Kajak und ein Doppelpaddel mit.
For the trip on the river, Sofia takes a kayak and a double-bladed paddle with her.
Am Wochenende haben wir ein kleines Boot gemietet und sind über den See gefahren.
At the weekend, we rented a small boat and went across the lake.