pier / breakwater
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pier / breakwater
A dam or harbor wall built out from the shore into the sea or a lake, serving as a breakwater or docking place.
Wir sind am Abend auf der Mole spazieren gegangen und haben den Sonnenuntergang beobachtet.
In the evening, we went for a walk on the pier and watched the sunset.
'Die Mole' is not the animal called 'mole' in English. It refers to a harbor wall or dam built out into the water.
Vom Schiff aus konnten wir die Menschen auf der Mole winken sehen.
From the ship, we could see the people waving on the pier.
The prepositions are important: people are 'auf der Mole' (on the pier) when they walk on it. Ships lie 'an der Mole' (at the pier) in order to anchor or unload.
Wir saßen auf der Mole und aßen ein Eis.
We sat on the pier and ate ice cream.
Common activities associated with a 'Mole' (pier / breakwater) are 'spazieren gehen' (to go for a walk), 'angeln' (to fish), or 'den Sonnenuntergang beobachten' (to watch the sunset). Often there is a lighthouse at the end of a pier.
Am Ende der Mole steht ein kleiner Leuchtturm, der den Schiffen den Weg weist.
At the end of the pier stands a small lighthouse that guides the ships.
pier
Both words refer to a structure that extends from the shore into the water and can serve people or ships. “Die Mole” emphasizes its protective function as a breakwater, while “der Pier” more strongly suggests a docking place or promenade. Depending on the function, one word or the other is therefore more appropriate.
Die Mole schützte den kleinen Hafen vor starken Wellen.
The breakwater protected the small harbor from strong waves.
Auf dem Pier gingen die Besucher spazieren und beobachteten die ankommenden Schiffe.
Visitors strolled along the pier and watched the arriving ships.
