waterway
Loading your saved state.
waterway
A navigable water route, such as a river or canal, that is used for transporting goods and people by ship. The spelling with 'ss' is common in Switzerland.
Der Rhein ist eine der verkehrsreichsten Wasserstrassen der Welt.
The Rhine is one of the busiest waterways in the world.
The word is a simple compound made up of 'Wasser' (water) and 'Strasse' (street/road). So it literally describes a 'Strasse auf dem Wasser' (road on the water) for ships.
Kanäle sind künstlich angelegte Wasserstrassen.
Canals are artificially constructed waterways.
The spelling 'Wasserstrasse' with 'ss' is common in Switzerland. In Germany and Austria, after the spelling reform, it is written 'Wasserstraße' with 'ß' because the vowel before it is long.
Die Donau ist eine wichtige europäische Wasserstraße.
The Danube is an important European waterway.
In connection with waterways, verbs like 'befahren' (to navigate/travel on), 'nutzen' (to use), or 'ausbauen' (to expand/upgrade) are often used. A Wasserstrasse (waterway) can also be 'für die Schifffahrt gesperrt' (closed to shipping).
Große Containerschiffe befahren diese Wasserstrasse täglich.
Large container ships navigate this waterway every day.
