01
die Wade
calf
The muscular back part of the lower leg between the back of the knee and the ankle.
example
Nach dem langen Lauf hatte er einen Krampf in der Wade.
After the long run, he had a cramp in his calf.
die Wade
calf
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Meanings
Usage tips
Describing pain
To express pain or a feeling in a body part, a dative construction is often used. The person feeling the pain is in the dative, often at the beginning of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Mir tut die Wade weh.
My calf hurts.
Typical collocations
The word 'Wade' (calf) is often used in the context of sports, movement, and injuries. Typical expressions are 'sich die Wade zerren' (to pull/strain one's calf), 'einen Krampf in der Wade haben' (to have a cramp in one's calf), or 'trainierte Waden' (trained calves).
EXAMPLE
Beim Tennisspielen habe ich mir die Wade gezerrt.
I strained my calf while playing tennis.
Correct preposition
The preposition makes the exact position clear. 'In der Wade' (in the calf) describes something inside the muscle, while 'an der Wade' (on the calf) refers to something on the surface of the skin.
EXAMPLE
Er spürt einen Schmerz tief in der Wade.
He feels a pain deep in his calf.
Compare with
Wade vs Schienbein
shinbone
'die Wade' and 'das Schienbein' are both located on the lower leg, so they are easy to confuse. The calf is at the back of the leg and is mainly muscle. The shinbone is at the front of the leg and is a bone that you can feel directly under the skin. If there is a pulling pain or cramp at the back, you would usually say 'Wade'. If you bump the front of your leg, you would usually say 'Schienbein'.
Wade
Nach dem langen Lauf tut mir die Wade weh.
After the long run, my calf hurts.
Schienbein
Beim Fußball hat Tom einen Tritt gegen das Schienbein bekommen.
While playing soccer, Tom got kicked in the shinbone.
In real life
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