seaweed / tang
Loading your saved state.
seaweed
A general term for various types of large algae that grow in the sea or along coasts.
Nach dem Sturm lag am Strand überall grüner und brauner Tang.
After the storm, green and brown seaweed was lying all over the beach.
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Tang' (seaweed/tang) from the context. If it refers to a plant on the beach or in the water, it means seaweed. If it is about a smell or taste, it refers to a sensory impression.
Die Fischer holten nicht nur Fische, sondern auch eine Menge Tang aus dem Netz.
The fishermen pulled not only fish but also a lot of seaweed out of the net.
When 'Tang' (seaweed) refers to algae, it is usually used like an uncountable noun, similar to 'Sand' (sand) or 'Wasser' (water). People speak of 'Tang' as a mass, not as individual plants.
Der ganze Strand war nach dem Sturm mit Tang bedeckt.
The whole beach was covered with seaweed after the storm.
In the meaning of 'Geruch' (smell) or 'Geschmack' (taste), 'Tang' is often combined with words that describe the senses. Typical phrases are 'der salzige Tang' (the salty tang), 'ein Geruch von Tang' (a smell of tang), or 'der Tang des Meeres' (the tang of the sea).
Die frische Brise trug den salzigen Tang des Meeres bis zu unserem Hotel.
The fresh breeze carried the salty tang of the sea all the way to our hotel.
alga
'die Alge' and 'der Tang' both refer to simple plants that live in water. 'Alge' is the more general term. Algae can be very small, live in fresh water or in the sea, and have many different forms. 'Tang' usually means large algae in the sea or along the coast. The words can be confused because seaweed is a type of algae. If you are speaking generally about such plants, 'Alge' is appropriate. If you mean large marine algae, 'Tang' sounds more precise.
Nach dem Sturm lag viel Tang am Strand.
After the storm, there was a lot of seaweed on the beach.
Im See haben sich im Sommer viele grüne Algen gebildet.
In the summer, many green algae formed in the lake.