das Ödland
wasteland
Barren, largely or entirely uncultivated land on which only a few plants grow.
EXAMPLE
Hinter dem Dorf beginnt weites Ödland.
The vast wasteland begins just beyond the village.
das Ödland
wasteland
das Ödland
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Ödland, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Ödlands |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Ödland | – |
| accusative | das Ödland | – |
| dative | dem Ödland | – |
| genitive | des Ödlands des Ödlandes | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Ödland' is made up of 'öd' (desolate, barren) and 'Land' (land). The first component describes the character of the land as empty, barren, or sparsely populated.
EXAMPLE
Am Rand der ehemaligen Industriestadt erstreckt sich ein großes Ödland.
A large wasteland stretches along the edge of the former industrial city.
Typical collocations
'Ödland' (wasteland) frequently appears with words such as 'karg' (barren), 'weit' (vast), or 'unfruchtbar' (infertile). Typical verbs include 'urbar machen' (to cultivate), 'bewirtschaften' (to farm), and 'begrünen' (to make green).
EXAMPLE
Die Gemeinde möchte das Ödland langsam begrünen.
The municipality wants to gradually turn the wasteland green.
Linguistic context
'Ödland' (wasteland) is particularly common in geographical, historical, and literary descriptions. It is often preceded in a sentence by a location phrase with 'auf' (on) or 'in' (in).
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Ödland wachsen nur wenige niedrige Sträucher.
Only a few low shrubs grow on the wasteland.
In real life
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