palace
Loading your saved state.
palace / grand residence
A prestigious, palace-like city residence of the nobility or a public building of special architectural importance.
Das Palais an der Oper beherbergt heute ein Luxushotel und teure Geschäfte.
The palace by the opera house now houses a luxury hotel and expensive shops.
'Palais' (palace) is a loanword from French and is used for especially magnificent, often historic city buildings. The word belongs to an elevated, formal style of language.
Im Stadtzentrum steht ein prunkvolles Palais aus dem 18. Jahrhundert.
In the city center there is a magnificent palace from the 18th century.
The word is pronounced in the French way, so the 's' at the end is silent. This special pronunciation signals the elevated and international character of the word.
Das barocke Palais wurde aufwendig restauriert.
The Baroque palace was extensively restored.
The term is often used for former aristocratic residences, residences of heads of state, or today for luxury hotels and cultural institutions. It is also frequently part of a building's proper name.
Das Palais Schaumburg in Bonn war lange Zeit der Sitz des Bundeskanzleramtes.
The Palais Schaumburg in Bonn was the seat of the Federal Chancellery for a long time.
castle / lock
'das Schloss' and 'das Palais' both refer to impressive buildings, often with a connection to nobility or history. 'Schloss' is the more general word and can be a large former residence of rulers, often with a park or grounds. 'Palais' usually means a particularly beautiful, palace-like building in the city or an important public building. It sounds somewhat more elevated and more specific. Learners may confuse the words because both refer to magnificent buildings. In many everyday situations, 'Schloss' is easier to understand; 'Palais' is especially suitable for elegant city buildings.
Im Palais findet am Abend ein Konzert statt.
A concert is taking place in the palace this evening.
Das Schloss wurde im 18. Jahrhundert gebaut und ist heute ein Museum.
The castle was built in the 18th century and is now a museum.