moon
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moon
The natural satellite that orbits the Earth and is visible at night as a shining celestial body.
Gestern Nacht war der Mond so hell, dass man ohne Licht sehen konnte.
Last night the moon was so bright that you could see without a light.
moon
A natural satellite that orbits any planet.
Der Planet Jupiter hat mehr als 70 bekannte Monde.
The planet Jupiter has more than 70 known moons.
to live under a rock
An idiom meaning that someone is uninformed and has not heard about current developments.
Du hast noch nie von dieser Serie gehört? Lebst du hinter dem Mond?
You’ve never heard of this series? Do you live under a rock?
The prepositions are important: 'auf dem Mond' (on the moon, dative) describes the location, while 'zum Mond' (to the moon, accusative) describes the direction or destination.
Die Astronauten waren drei Tage auf dem Mond.
The astronauts were on the moon for three days.
Common expressions are 'der Mond scheint' (the moon is shining), 'bei Vollmond' (during a full moon), or 'eine Reise zum Mond' (a trip to the moon). The different phases are called 'Neumond' (new moon), 'Halbmond' (half moon), and 'Vollmond' (full moon).
Bei Vollmond kann ich oft schlecht schlafen.
During a full moon, I often have trouble sleeping.
When 'der Mond' (the moon) stands alone and with the definite article, it almost always means Earth’s moon. When talking about the satellites of other planets, the plural ('Monde', moons) or the name of the planet is often mentioned for clarity.
Wissenschaftler haben einen neuen Mond um den Saturn entdeckt.
Scientists have discovered a new moon around Saturn.
The expression 'hinter dem Mond leben' (to live under a rock, literally: to live behind the moon) is a fixed idiom. Only the verb 'leben' (to live) is conjugated; the rest of the expression stays unchanged.
Er wusste nichts von der neuen App, er lebt wirklich hinter dem Mond.
He knew nothing about the new app; he really lives under a rock.
satellite
Der Mond and ein Satellit can both refer to a natural celestial body that orbits a planet. „Mond“ is the usual term, especially for Earth’s moon, while „Satellit“ emphasizes the scientific umbrella term. In everyday speech, people usually say „Mond“; „Satellit“ is more suitable in a technical description.
Heute Nacht sieht man den Mond besonders deutlich.
The moon is especially easy to see tonight.
Europa ist ein natürlicher Satellit des Jupiter.
Europa is a natural satellite of Jupiter.
