01
das Kap
cape
A striking, often high and rocky point of land that extends far into the sea or a large lake.
example
Das Schiff umrundete sicher das stürmische Kap Hoorn.
The ship safely rounded the stormy Cape Horn.
das Kap
cape
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Meanings
Usage tips
Use in names
The word 'Kap' (cape) is often part of geographical proper names. World-famous examples are 'das Kap der Guten Hoffnung' (the Cape of Good Hope) in South Africa or 'Kap Hoorn' (Cape Horn) in South America.
EXAMPLE
Die portugiesischen Seefahrer waren die ersten Europäer am Kap der Guten Hoffnung.
The Portuguese sailors were the first Europeans at the Cape of Good Hope.
Typical verb
A typical verb used together with 'Kap' (cape) is 'umrunden' (to round/circle). It describes a ship's voyage around the point of land.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän entschied, das stürmische Kap weiträumig zu umrunden.
The captain decided to give the stormy cape a wide berth and round it from far away.
Technical language: geography
'Das Kap' (the cape) is a technical geographical term. It is mainly used when talking about geography, seafaring, or coastal formations.
EXAMPLE
Auf der alten Seekarte war das gefährliche Kap deutlich markiert.
The dangerous cape was clearly marked on the old nautical chart.
Compare with
Kap vs Halbinsel
peninsula
'Halbinsel' and 'Kap' both belong to geography and describe land by water. A 'Halbinsel' is a larger piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides and remains connected to the mainland. A 'Kap' is more of a striking point of land that extends into the sea or a lake. Learners may confuse the words because both look like land in the water. As a simple guide: a peninsula is often a whole area, while a cape is usually a single point or tip on the coast.
Kap
Am Kap standen viele Besucher und schauten auf die hohen Wellen.
Many visitors stood at the cape and watched the high waves.
Halbinsel
Im Sommer fahren wir auf eine Halbinsel, weil dort auf drei Seiten Meer ist.
In summer, we travel to a peninsula because there is sea on three sides.
In real life
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