tomb
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tomb
A word borrowed from English for a grave or burial site, especially a large or monumental one. In German, it is used mainly in specific contexts such as archaeology, history (e.g., Egyptian tombs), or in the titles of films and games.
Der Film „Tomb Raider“ handelt von einer Archäologin, die antike Tombs erforscht.
The film “Tomb Raider” is about an archaeologist who explores ancient tombs.
This word is a loanword from English and is not used for an ordinary grave. It is used almost only for monumental, historical burial sites or in the titles of films, books, and games.
Die Archäologen entdeckten eine bisher unbekannte Tomb in Ägypten.
The archaeologists discovered a previously unknown tomb in Egypt.
Although the word comes from English, it is treated as a feminine noun in German. So it is always “die Tomb” (the tomb).
Die Führung durch die alte Tomb war sehr beeindruckend.
The tour through the old tomb was very impressive.
“Tomb” is often combined with adjectives that refer to age or origin. Typical examples are “antike Tomb” (ancient tomb), “königliche Tomb” (royal tomb), or “ägyptische Tomb” (Egyptian tomb).
Die königliche Tomb war reich mit Schätzen gefüllt.
The royal tomb was richly filled with treasures.
grave
'das Grab' and 'die Tomb' can both mean a burial site. 'das Grab' is the normal German word and fits everyday use, for example in a cemetery. 'die Tomb' is an English loanword and is rare in German. You are more likely to find it in texts about history, archaeology, old royal tombs, or in the titles of films and games. Learners may confuse the words because 'tomb' is very well known in English. In normal German, however, people almost always say 'Grab'. 'Tomb' sounds specialized and often foreign-language-like.
In dem Archäologie-Buch geht es um die Tomb eines ägyptischen Königs.
The archaeology book is about the tomb of an Egyptian king.
Am Sonntag legt Maria frische Blumen auf das Grab ihres Großvaters.
On Sunday, Maria puts fresh flowers on her grandfather's grave.