westdeutsch
West German
Relating to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) before reunification in 1990.
EXAMPLE
Viele westdeutsche Städte mussten nach dem Krieg wieder aufgebaut werden.
Many West German cities had to be rebuilt after the war.
westdeutsch
West German
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Meanings
westdeutsch
western German
Relating to the geographical west of present-day Germany, that is, to federal states such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, or Saarland.
EXAMPLE
Der westdeutsche Raum ist bekannt für seine hohe Bevölkerungsdichte und Industrie.
The western German region is known for its high population density and industry.
Usage tips
Word structure
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.
EXAMPLE
Der westdeutsche Dialekt unterscheidet sich deutlich vom norddeutschen.
The western German dialect differs significantly from the northern German one.
Context clue
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.
EXAMPLE
Meine Eltern sind in einer westdeutschen Kleinstadt aufgewachsen. (historisch)
My parents grew up in a small West German town. (historical)
Capitalization
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.
EXAMPLE
Er las einen Artikel über die westdeutsche Wirtschaft.
He read an article about the West German economy.
Compare with
westdeutsch vs westlich
western
Both words can describe a location in the west of Germany. Westlich indicates a relative direction from a reference point, while westdeutsch refers to the geographical west of present-day Germany. Use westlich with a point of comparison and westdeutsch for regional classification.
westdeutsch
Köln ist eine westdeutsche Stadt.
Cologne is a West German city.
westlich
Köln liegt westlich von Berlin.
Cologne is west of Berlin.
In real life
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