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.
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.
star
'der Stern' and 'der Mond' can both be visible in the night sky, but they are not the same thing. A 'Stern' is a distant celestial body that gives off its own light. 'der Mond' is Earth's natural satellite and does not shine by itself, but reflects light. Learners may confuse the words because both appear bright in the sky at night. As a guide: there are many stars, but only one moon for Earth.
Heute steht der Mond groß und hell über den Häusern.
Today the moon is large and bright above the houses.
Am klaren Abend sieht man über dem Dorf viele Sterne.
On a clear evening, you can see many stars above the village.