01
der Wald
forest
A large area densely covered with trees.
example
Am Sonntag machen wir einen langen Spaziergang im Wald.
On Sunday we're going for a long walk in the forest.
der Wald
forest
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Movement and location
Pay attention to the difference between 'in den Wald' (into the forest, accusative) for direction and 'im Wald' (in the forest, dative) for location. This difference is very important with place expressions.
EXAMPLE
Wir gehen am Nachmittag in den Wald.
We're going into the forest in the afternoon.
Compound words
'Wald' (forest) is a very productive base word for many compounds. If you know 'Wald', you can more easily understand words like 'Regenwald' (rainforest), 'Nadelwald' (coniferous forest), 'Laubwald' (deciduous forest), or 'Waldweg' (forest path).
EXAMPLE
Der Amazonas-Regenwald ist der größte tropische Regenwald der Welt.
The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world.
Typical collocations
Common verbs associated with the forest are 'spazieren gehen' (to go for a walk), 'wandern' (to hike), 'laufen' (to run/walk), or 'sich verirren' (to get lost).
EXAMPLE
Am Wochenende wandern wir oft stundenlang durch den Wald.
On weekends we often hike through the forest for hours.
Fixed idiom
The idiom 'den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht sehen' (not to see the forest for the trees) is fixed and cannot be changed. It is always used in this form to express that someone is overlooking the obvious.
EXAMPLE
Er suchte seinen Schlüssel überall, dabei lag er direkt vor ihm. Er hat den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht gesehen.
He looked for his key everywhere, even though it was right in front of him. He couldn't see the forest for the trees.
Figurative use
In the figurative meaning, 'Wald' is often used in the construction 'ein Wald aus/von ...' (a forest of ...). This describes a large, confusing mass.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Platz stand ein ganzer Wald von Protestschildern.
There was a whole forest of protest signs standing in the square.
Compare with
Wald vs Holz
wood
'der Wald' and 'das Holz' are both connected with trees, but they do not mean the same thing. 'Wald' is the place or area with many trees. 'Holz' is the material from a tree, for example for furniture, houses, or fire. You can confuse the words because wood can come from the forest. But naturally, you say: you go into the forest, and a table is made of wood.
Wald
Am Sonntag machen wir einen langen Spaziergang durch den Wald.
On Sunday, we're going for a long walk through the forest.
Holz
Für den Ofen brauchen wir trockenes Holz.
We need dry wood for the stove.
In real life
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