der West
west
The compass direction west, often used in seafaring or meteorology.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän befahl, den Kurs genau auf West zu ändern.
The captain ordered the course to be changed exactly to west.
der West
west
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
der West
westerly wind
A wind coming from a westerly direction.
EXAMPLE
Ein starker West trieb die Segelboote schnell voran.
A strong westerly wind drove the sailboats quickly forward.
Usage tips
Register and context
The form 'der West' (west) is mainly used in specialized language such as seafaring, aviation, or meteorology. In general usage, the form 'der Westen' (the west) is more common.
EXAMPLE
Im Westen Deutschlands geht die Sonne später unter.
In western Germany, the sun sets later.
Typical collocations
When 'West' (west) indicates a direction, it is often used without an article and with certain prepositions. Typical phrases are 'Kurs auf West' (course to west) or 'Richtung West' (toward west).
EXAMPLE
Das Schiff hält direkten Kurs auf West.
The ship is holding a direct course to west.
Word family
'West' (west) is the base for many other words. These include the adjective 'westlich' (western), compound nouns like 'Westwind' (west wind) or 'Westküste' (west coast), and adverbs like 'westwärts' (westward).
EXAMPLE
Die westliche Küste ist bekannt für ihre schönen Strände.
The western coast is known for its beautiful beaches.
Compare with
West vs Westen
west
In ordinary German, Westen is the full name of the compass direction and is used, for example, in nach Westen or im Westen. West is used mainly as a concise directional indication in technical language, especially in seafaring and meteorology, as in Kurs West.
West
Der Kapitän hält mit dem Schiff weiter Kurs West.
The captain keeps the ship on a westward course.
Westen
Das Schiff fährt weiter nach Westen.
The ship continues westward.
In real life
Loading video examples...