Donau
/ˈdoːnaʊ̯/feminine
Donau is the German word for the Danube.
Donau is the standard term used to refer to the river of Europe that flows to the Black Sea.
Meaning: river of Europe that flows to the Black Sea (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Donau is feminine and is used with the definite article die.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdoːnaʊ̯/
Did you know?
- The German Donau descends from a Proto-Celtic name *Dānowyos, showing that Celtic languages influenced the naming of this river before German did.
- The German name Donau is an example of 'folk etymology', where people changed the original name to match a familiar word, in this case the word for 'meadow' or 'floodplain'.
Examples in context
- Die Donau fließt langsam.The Danube flows slowly.This sentence is useful for describing the speed of the flow of Donau.Tatoeba #11839393 by mhr, translation #7789953 by shekitten
- Die Donau ist ein Fluß in Europa.The Danube is a river in Europe.This sentence identifies Donau as a river in Europe.Tatoeba #12430352 by Waldelfe, translation #12429717 by ddnktr
- Die Donau ist ein europäischer Fluß.The Danube is a European river.This sentence describes Donau as a European river.Tatoeba #12430355 by Waldelfe, translation #12538449 by sundown
- Ich fahre an die Donau.I am going to the Danube.
- Ich blicke auf die Donau und genieße die Ruhe.I look at the Danube and enjoy the tranquility.
- Wir besuchen nächste Woche Donaueschingen, die Quelle der Donau.Next week, we are visiting Donaueschingen, the source of the Danube.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a map in a café.
- HannahWie lang ist die Donau?How long is the Danube?
- LukasSie ist über zweitausend Kilometer lang.It is over two thousand kilometers long.
- HannahDas ist wirklich beeindruckend.That is really impressive.
- LukasJa, sie ist ein sehr wichtiger Fluss.Yes, it is a very important river.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “danube” translations and entries Donau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Donau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
