01
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
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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 europäisch
European
'europäisch' and 'westlich' can both refer to culture, politics, or society. However, 'europäisch' means Europe or European countries. 'westlich' means the so-called Western world, often Western Europe and North America. The words can be confused because Europe is often seen as part of the Western world. Still, 'westlich' is broader and more cultural in meaning, while 'europäisch' refers more specifically to Europe.
westlich
Heute bespricht Luisa westliche Werte in ihrem Politikseminar.
Today Luisa is discussing Western values in her politics seminar.
europäisch
Im Zug liest sie einen Text über europäische Länder für den Kurs.
On the train, she reads a text about European countries for the course.
In real life
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