department store
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department store
A large store, often with several floors, that offers a wide variety of goods in different departments, such as clothing, electronics, household goods, and food.
Früher sind wir samstags immer ins Kaufhaus gefahren, um für die ganze Familie einzukaufen.
In the past, we always drove to the department store on Saturdays to shop for the whole family.
'Kaufhaus' (department store) is a simple compound made from the verb 'kaufen' (to buy), here as the noun 'Kauf' (purchase), and 'Haus' (house). So it is literally a house where you can buy things.
Das neue Kaufhaus in der Innenstadt hat zehn Etagen.
The new department store in the city center has ten floors.
Pay attention to the difference in prepositions: movement toward a place is expressed with the accusative ('ins Kaufhaus gehen' — to go into/to the department store), while being at a place requires the dative ('im Kaufhaus sein' — to be in the department store).
Wir fahren am Nachmittag ins Kaufhaus, um ein Geschenk zu suchen.
We are going to the department store in the afternoon to look for a gift.
Typical verbs connected with 'Kaufhaus' (department store) describe the shopping experience. These include 'im Kaufhaus einkaufen' (to shop in the department store), 'bummeln' (to stroll/browse), or 'sich umsehen' (to look around).
An Regentagen kann man gut im Kaufhaus bummeln gehen.
On rainy days, you can have a nice browse around the department store.
shopping center
An Einkaufszentrum and a Kaufhaus are large places where many different goods can be bought. An Einkaufszentrum usually consists of several stores and other businesses, whereas a Kaufhaus is a single store with several departments. When referring to many stores under one roof, Einkaufszentrum is the better fit.
Im Kaufhaus findet man Kleidung und Haushaltswaren in verschiedenen Abteilungen.
In the department store, you can find clothing and household goods in different departments.
Im Einkaufszentrum gibt es neben vielen Geschäften auch mehrere Restaurants.
In the shopping center, there are several restaurants as well as many stores.
