landscape
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landscape
A larger section of the earth's surface as one sees it, with its natural features such as mountains, rivers, and forests.
Vom Berggipfel aus hatten wir einen atemberaubenden Blick über die gesamte Landschaft.
From the mountain peak, we had a breathtaking view over the entire landscape.
The word is made up of 'Land' (land) and the ending '-schaft' (-ship/-hood). The ending '-schaft' forms feminine nouns that often describe a community, a state, or an area.
Die Freundschaft zwischen den beiden Ländern ist sehr stark.
The friendship between the two countries is very strong.
'Landschaft' (landscape) is often combined with adjectives that describe the scenery. Common examples are 'malerische Landschaft' (picturesque landscape), 'hügelige Landschaft' (hilly landscape), or 'weite Landschaft' (wide/open landscape).
Wir wanderten durch eine malerische Landschaft mit kleinen Dörfern.
We hiked through a picturesque landscape with small villages.
To describe a landscape more precisely, 'Landschaft' (landscape) is often used as the second part of a compound noun. Typical examples are 'Berglandschaft' (mountain landscape), 'Küstenlandschaft' (coastal landscape), or 'Winterlandschaft' (winter landscape).
Die Schneedecke verwandelte alles in eine stille Winterlandschaft.
The blanket of snow transformed everything into a quiet winter landscape.
You can recognize the figurative meaning from words related to politics, the media, or the economy. When people talk about the 'politische Landschaft' (political landscape) or the 'Medienlandschaft' (media landscape), they mean the overall structure of that particular field.
Die politische Landschaft des Landes ist sehr komplex.
The country's political landscape is very complex.
country / countryside / land
'das Land' and 'die Landschaft' can both have to do with nature and areas outside the city. 'Das Land' means the countryside as a place to live or as a contrast to the city. 'Die Landschaft' is more about what you see: mountains, fields, forests, rivers, or hills in an area. Learners may confuse the words because you often see beautiful landscapes in the countryside. 'Land' is more natural when talking about living or being outside the city. 'Landschaft' fits better when describing what an area looks like.
Auf der Zugfahrt fotografierte Lisa die grüne Landschaft am Fluss.
On the train journey, Lisa photographed the green landscape by the river.
Im Sommer zieht meine Tante aufs Land, weil sie mehr Ruhe möchte.
In the summer, my aunt moves to the countryside because she wants more peace and quiet.