Tal
/taːl/neuter
The English word 'dale' is translated into German as Tal.
The word Tal refers to a valley.
Meaning: valley (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Tal is Täler. To indicate possession, such as 'of the valley', use the genitive singular form Tals.
How do you pronounce it?
/taːl/
When do people say it?
In a colloquial sense, the spirit of an enthusiastic 'Dale!' can be expressed in German using the informal phrase Los geht's!
Did you know?
- The phrase im Tal stehen can be used metaphorically to describe someone who is at a low point in their life or career.
- The German word Talsperre combines Tal with Sperre to mean a dam, literally describing a 'valley barrier'.
- The German word Tal is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'dale', sharing the same ancient roots.
Examples in context
- Sie lehnten sich über die Trockenmauer und blickten über das Tal.They leant over the drystone wall and looked across the dale.This sentence shows how to use Tal when looking across a dale.Tatoeba #10366755 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10212314 by sundown
- Hast du alles vorbereitet? Los geht's!Are you ready? Let's go!
- Wir wandern durch das grüne Tal.We are hiking through the green valley.
- Das Tal liegt tief im Gebirge.The valley lies deep in the mountains.
Example conversation
Two hikers are looking at a viewpoint.
- SarahSchau mal, wie schön das Tal von hier aussieht!Look how beautiful the valley looks from here!
- JulianJa, das Tal ist wirklich beeindruckend.Yes, the valley is truly impressive.
- SarahWollen wir dort unten im Tal wandern?Do we want to hike down there in the valley?
- JulianDas ist eine gute Idee, Sarah.That is a good idea, Sarah.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dale” translations and entries Tal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Tal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
