West German
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West German
Relating to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) before reunification in 1990.
Viele westdeutsche Städte mussten nach dem Krieg wieder aufgebaut werden.
Many West German cities had to be rebuilt after the war.
The adjective 'westdeutsch' (West German / western German) is a simple compound made from the compass direction 'West' (west) and the adjective 'deutsch' (German). It describes a geographical or historical affiliation.
Der westdeutsche Dialekt unterscheidet sich deutlich vom norddeutschen.
The western German dialect differs significantly from the northern German one.
The meaning of 'westdeutsch' (West German / western German) depends strongly on the context. If people are talking about the period before 1990, it refers to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). If people are talking about the present day, it refers to the western federal states of Germany.
Meine Eltern sind in einer westdeutschen Kleinstadt aufgewachsen. (historisch)
My parents grew up in a small West German town. (historical)
As an adjective before a noun, 'westdeutsch' (West German / western German) is written in lowercase. However, when it refers to a person from West Germany, it is treated as a noun and capitalized.
Er las einen Artikel über die westdeutsche Wirtschaft.
He read an article about the West German economy.
western
'westlich' and 'westdeutsch' both have to do with the west, but they do not mean the same thing. 'westlich' describes a direction or location: something is in the west or west of a place. 'westdeutsch' refers to West Germany, meaning the west of Germany or, historically, the FRG before 1990. Learners may confuse the words because both begin with 'West-'. A practical guide: for a direction, say 'westlich'; for Germany or the former FRG, say 'westdeutsch'.
Viele westdeutsche Städte haben nach 1945 schnell neue Wohnungen gebaut.
Many West German cities quickly built new housing after 1945.
Das Dorf liegt westlich von Köln.
The village is located west of Cologne.