The hobby or profession in which scale, reduced-size replicas (models) of real objects such as airplanes, ships, cars, or buildings are made.
example
In seiner Freizeit widmet er sich dem Modellbau und hat schon mehrere detailgetreue Schiffe konstruiert.
In his free time, he devotes himself to model building and has already constructed several highly detailed ships.
Usage tips
Compound word
The word is a clear compound made up of 'das Modell' (the model) and 'der Bau' (building/construction, from the verb 'bauen' (to build)). So it literally means 'the building of models'.
EXAMPLE
Sein größtes Hobby ist der Modellbau von historischen Flugzeugen.
His biggest hobby is building models of historical airplanes.
Word family
The word 'Modellbau' (model building) is the basis for other useful terms. A 'Modellbaukasten' (model kit) contains all the parts for a model, and a 'Modellbaugeschäft' (model shop) is a store that sells such kits.
EXAMPLE
Zum Geburtstag wünscht er sich einen neuen Modellbaukasten.
For his birthday, he wants a new model kit.
Typical verbs
As a hobby or activity, 'Modellbau' (model building) is often used with the verbs 'betreiben' (to practice/do) or 'sich beschäftigen mit' (to be involved with).