mouth / muzzle / opening
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mouth
The place where a river or stream flows into another body of water, such as a lake, a sea, or a larger river.
Die Mündung des Rheins in die Nordsee liegt in den Niederlanden.
The mouth of the Rhine into the North Sea is in the Netherlands.
The noun 'Mündung' derives from the verb 'münden', which means 'to flow into' or 'to lead out'. The ending '-ung' turns the verb into a noun that describes the place or result of the action.
Der kleine Bach mündet direkt in den See.
The small stream flows directly into the lake.
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Mündung' from the context. Words like 'Fluss' (river), 'See' (lake), or 'Delta' (delta) point to the geographical meaning. Terms like 'Gewehr' (rifle), 'Pistole' (pistol), or 'Lauf' (barrel) indicate a weapon, while 'Magen' (stomach) or 'Darm' (intestine) mark the medical context.
An der Mündung des Flusses hat sich eine kleine Stadt entwickelt.
A small town has developed at the mouth of the river.
When a river flows into a body of water, the preposition 'in' is used with the accusative. To describe the location, you use 'an der' with the dative.
Die Donau hat ihre Mündung ins Schwarze Meer.
The Danube has its mouth in the Black Sea.
In the anatomical meaning, 'Mündung' is a technical term from medicine. In everyday life, you will rarely hear this use, except in a conversation with a doctor.
Der Arzt erklärte die Funktion der Mündung des Gallengangs.
The doctor explained the function of the opening of the bile duct.
source
'die Quelle' and 'die Mündung' form a clear contrast for a stream or river. The source is the beginning: that is where the water comes out of the ground or where the river begins. The mouth is the end: that is where the river flows into a sea, a lake, or a larger river. Memory tip: 'die Quelle' is the start, 'die Mündung' is the river's destination.
Die Stadt liegt nahe an der Mündung des Flusses.
The city is located near the mouth of the river.
Im Wald fanden wir die Quelle eines kleinen Baches.
In the forest, we found the source of a small stream.