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westafrikanisch
West African
Relating to the region of West Africa, its inhabitants, its culture, or its geography.
example
Die westafrikanische Küche ist für ihre würzigen Eintöpfe bekannt.
West African cuisine is known for its spicy stews.
westafrikanisch
West African
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The adjective is formed from the geographical name 'Westafrika' (West Africa) and the suffix '-anisch'. This ending is often used for adjectives derived from regions and countries.
EXAMPLE
Die Sammlung zeigt traditionelle westafrikanische Masken.
The collection shows traditional West African masks.
Common mistake: lowercase
Adjectives derived from geographical names are written in lowercase in German, even though they are often capitalized in English.
EXAMPLE
Ich liebe westafrikanische Musik.
I love West African music.
Typical collocations
This adjective often describes things that are characteristic of the region, such as 'westafrikanische Länder' (West African countries), 'westafrikanische Kultur' (West African culture), or 'westafrikanische Gerichte' (West African dishes).
EXAMPLE
Viele westafrikanische Staaten haben Französisch als Amtssprache.
Many West African countries have French as an official language.
Compare with
westafrikanisch vs afrikanisch
African
'afrikanisch' and 'westafrikanisch' both refer to Africa. 'afrikanisch' is more general and can mean the whole continent, people, cultures, or origin from Africa. 'westafrikanisch' is more specific and means only the region of West Africa. Learners may confuse the words because West Africa is part of Africa. If the exact region is important, 'westafrikanisch' fits better. If you are speaking about Africa in general or do not know the region, 'afrikanisch' is more natural.
westafrikanisch
Im Park habe ich westafrikanische Trommelmusik gehört, nicht Musik aus dem ganzen Kontinent.
In the park, I heard West African drum music, not music from the whole continent.
afrikanisch
Beim Fest gibt es heute afrikanische Musik und Essen aus verschiedenen Ländern.
At the festival today, there is African music and food from different countries.
In real life
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