edge of town / outskirts
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edge of town
The area where a town or village ends and the open countryside begins. It is the outer boundary of the built-up area.
Wir wohnen in einem Neubaugebiet am Ortsrand.
We live in a new housing development on the edge of town.
The word is made up of 'Ort' (place/town) and 'Rand' (edge). The 's' in between is a linking s that connects the two words. Literally, it describes the edge of a place or town.
Am Ortsrand beginnt der Wald.
The forest begins at the edge of town.
To describe a position on the outer edge of a town or village, the preposition 'an' with the dative is almost always used: 'am Ortsrand' (on the edge of town).
Die neue Sporthalle wird am Ortsrand gebaut.
The new sports hall is being built on the edge of town.
Common verbs used with 'am Ortsrand' (on the edge of town) are 'wohnen' (to live), 'liegen' (to be located), 'sich befinden' (to be situated), or 'spazieren gehen' (to go for a walk).
Viele Familien mit Kindern wohnen gerne am Ortsrand.
Many families with children like living on the edge of town.
surrounding area
'das Umland' and 'der Ortsrand' both have to do with the area around a city or town. But they do not mean the same thing. 'Umland' is the larger area surrounding a city, including suburbs, villages, and rural areas that are connected to the city. 'Ortsrand' is much more specific: it is the outer edge of a place, where the houses end and the countryside begins. Learners may confuse the words because both are outside the center. A helpful way to remember it is: 'das Umland' is a region; 'der Ortsrand' is a boundary.
Am Ortsrand beginnt ein Feldweg, der direkt in den Wald führt.
At the edge of town, a dirt road begins and leads straight into the forest.
Viele Menschen wohnen im Umland von München und fahren zur Arbeit in die Stadt.
Many people live in the surrounding area of Munich and commute into the city for work.