bike path
Loading your saved state.
bike path
A path or lane specifically intended for cyclists, often separated from the roadway for cars.
In dieser Stadt sind die Radwege sehr gut ausgebaut und sicher.
In this city, the bike paths are very well developed and safe.
'Radweg' (bike path) is a compound noun made from 'das Rad' (short for bicycle) and 'der Weg' (path/way). So it is literally a 'path for the bicycle'.
In den Niederlanden gibt es fast überall breite Radwege.
In the Netherlands, there are wide bike paths almost everywhere.
Pay attention to the case with the preposition 'auf': you ride 'auf dem Radweg' (on the bike path; dative, location), but you turn 'auf den Radweg' (onto the bike path; accusative, direction).
Bitte fahren Sie auf dem Radweg und nicht auf dem Gehweg.
Please ride on the bike path and not on the sidewalk.
Common verbs used with 'Radweg' (bike path) are 'einen Radweg benutzen' (to use a bike path), 'einen Radweg bauen' (to build a bike path), or 'einen Radweg anlegen' (to create/build a bike path).
Die Stadt plant, neue Radwege anzulegen.
The city is planning to build new bike paths.
sidewalk
'der Radweg' and 'der Gehweg' are both part of the street area and are often located next to the roadway. But the difference is important: a 'Radweg' is intended for bicycles, while a 'Gehweg' is for pedestrians. Learners may confuse the words because both paths can be next to the road and look similar. Pay attention to the first part of the word: 'Rad' points to a bicycle, and 'Geh' to walking.
Heute ist der Radweg wegen einer Baustelle gesperrt.
Today the bike path is closed because of construction work.
Vor unserem Haus ist der Gehweg sehr schmal.
The sidewalk in front of our house is very narrow.