der Wal
whale
A very large mammal that lives in the sea.
EXAMPLE
Vom Schiff aus konnten wir in der Ferne einen Wal beobachten.
From the ship, we were able to observe a whale in the distance.
der Wal
whale
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Meanings
Usage tips
False friend
'Der Wal' (the whale) sounds very similar to the English word 'wall'. But 'der Wal' is the large sea animal (whale). A wall in German is 'die Wand' or 'die Mauer'.
EXAMPLE
Im Urlaub haben wir einen riesigen Wal gesehen.
On vacation, we saw a huge whale.
Word formation
The word stem 'Wal-' is used to form other words that have to do with the animal or the sea. Examples are der Walhai (whale shark), das Walross (walrus), or der Walfang (whaling).
EXAMPLE
Der Walgesang kann über hunderte Kilometer gehört werden.
Whale song can be heard over hundreds of kilometers.
Typical verbs
Common verbs used in connection with whales are 'Wale beobachten' (to watch whales), 'Wale schwimmen' (whales swim), or, when an animal is washed onto land, 'ein Wal strandet' (a whale is stranded).
EXAMPLE
An der Küste ist leider ein Wal gestrandet.
Unfortunately, a whale has been stranded on the coast.
Compare with
Wal vs Wahl
choice / election
Die Wahl and der Wal sound the same, but refer to completely different things. Die Wahl is about making a choice between options; der Wal is a large marine mammal. The article and spelling show which word is meant.
Wal
Im Meer beobachteten die Touristen einen großen Wal.
The tourists watched a large whale in the sea.
Wahl
Bei der Wahl zwischen zwei Angeboten entschied sich Lara für das günstigere.
When choosing between two offers, Lara chose the cheaper one.
In real life
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