westlich
western
Located in the cardinal direction west or directed toward it.
EXAMPLE
Die westliche Küste des Landes ist bekannt für ihre schönen Strände.
The western coast of the country is known for its beautiful beaches.
westlich
western
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Meanings
westlich
west of
Describes a position that is located in the direction of west from a specific point. Often used with 'von' (of/from).
EXAMPLE
Das Gewerbegebiet liegt westlich der Autobahn.
The industrial area is located west of the highway.
westlich
Western
Related to the culture, politics, or society of the so-called Western world, especially Western Europe and North America.
EXAMPLE
Viele westliche Gesellschaften sind von Individualismus geprägt.
Many Western societies are shaped by individualism.
Usage tips
Word family
'Westlich' (western) derives from the noun 'der Westen' (the west). The ending '-lich' turns the noun into an adjective. The same pattern applies to the other cardinal directions: 'nördlich' (northern/north of), 'südlich' (southern/south of), and 'östlich' (eastern/east of).
EXAMPLE
Die Sonne geht im Westen unter.
The sun sets in the west.
Sentence structure with genitive or 'von'
To indicate a position relative to a place, 'westlich' (west of) is used with the genitive or with the preposition 'von' + dative. The version with 'von' is more common in spoken language.
EXAMPLE
Das Dorf liegt westlich des Flusses.
The village is located west of the river.
Context clue
If 'westlich' (western) stands before a noun, for example 'die westliche Region' (the western region), it describes a part of something (m01). If it stands alone with a place, for example 'westlich von Hamburg' (west of Hamburg), it indicates a relative position (m02). If it refers to culture or politics, it means the 'westliche Welt' (Western world) (m03).
EXAMPLE
Die westliche Fassade des Gebäudes braucht einen neuen Anstrich.
The western facade of the building needs a new coat of paint.
Typical collocations
In the cultural and political sense, 'westlich' (Western) is often combined with abstract nouns such as 'Werte' (values), 'Kultur' (culture), 'Gesellschaft' (society), 'Demokratie' (democracy), or 'Lebensstil' (lifestyle).
EXAMPLE
Freie Meinungsäußerung ist ein zentraler westlicher Wert.
Freedom of expression is a central Western value.
Compare with
westlich vs westdeutsch
West German
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.
westlich
Köln liegt westlich von Berlin.
Cologne is west of Berlin.
westdeutsch
Köln ist eine westdeutsche Stadt.
Cologne is a West German city.
In real life
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