das Mach
Mach
A unit of speed that measures the speed of an object relative to the speed of sound. Mach 1 equals the speed of sound; Mach 2 equals twice the speed of sound.
EXAMPLE
Das Flugzeug erreichte Mach 2.
The aircraft reached Mach 2.
das Mach
Mach
das Mach, die Mach
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Mach, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Mach |
| genitive | des Mach |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Mach | die Mach |
| accusative | das Mach | die Mach |
| dative | dem Mach | den Mach |
| genitive | des Mach des Machs | der Mach |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Sentence pattern
In technical specifications, 'Mach' usually appears directly before the number, for example 'Mach 2' or 'Mach 3'. The number indicates the speed as a ratio of the speed of sound.
EXAMPLE
Der Testjet flog kurzzeitig mit Mach 3.
The test jet briefly flew at Mach 3.
Typical prepositions
'mit Mach' (at Mach) is often used to indicate the speed reached; for a target speed, 'auf Mach' (to Mach) is often used with a verb of acceleration.
EXAMPLE
Das Flugzeug flog mit Mach 1,5 durch die Atmosphäre.
The aircraft flew through the atmosphere at Mach 1.5.
Die Piloten beschleunigten die Maschine auf Mach 2.
The pilots accelerated the aircraft to Mach 2.
Technical usage
'Mach' is mainly used in technical and scientific language, especially in aerospace and physics. The word also frequently appears in news reports about fast aircraft.
EXAMPLE
In dem Bericht wurde erklärt, warum das Raumschiff mit Mach 5 in die Atmosphäre eintrat.
The report explained why the spacecraft entered the atmosphere at Mach 5.
In real life
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