ländlich
The English word 'rural' can be translated into German as ländlich or dörflich.
Meaning: pertaining to non-urban areas (adj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| ländlich | |
| dörflich | /ˈdœʁflɪç/ |
The term is used to describe areas that are non-urban.
Which one should you use?
ländlich refers to the countryside or rural areas in a general sense, often used for landscapes or lifestyles.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ländlich takes the ending -en in the masculine/neuter weak declension (for example, im ländlichen Raum) or in the dative case after certain prepositions. The form Ländliche is the feminine singular form of ländlich.
Did you know?
- If you describe a lifestyle as ländlich, you are often implying a sense of 'Gemütlichkeit', a specific German concept of coziness and way of life.
- While 'rural' in English is often neutral, using dörflich to describe a person's manner can sometimes carry a slightly patronizing or 'provincial' connotation.
- In German, the word Land is used in the phrase auf dem Land, meaning 'in the country'. Interestingly, the preposition auf suggests being 'on top of' the land, unlike the English 'in'.
Examples in context
- Asien hat viele ländliche Dörfer.Asia has many rural villages.This sentence shows how to use ländlich to describe villages.Tatoeba #10070438 by Melang, translation #3962699 by JSakuragi
- Layla lebte im ländlichen England.Layla lived in rural England.This sentence uses ländlich to describe a location in England.Tatoeba #8646871 by Melang, translation #6043776 by OsoHombre
- Ich wohne in einem ländlichen Gebiet.I live in a rural area.This sentence uses ländlich to describe an area.Tatoeba #3762022 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1866502 by Spamster
- Sie lebt in einer ländlichen Gegend.She lives in a rural area.
- Die ländliche Landschaft ist atemberaubend.The rural landscape is breathtaking.
- Der ländliche Raum steht wirtschaftlichen Herausforderungen gegenüber.Rural areas are facing economic challenges.
- Er hat ein Haus im ländlichen Teil des Landes gekauft.He bought a house in the rural part of the country.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are discussing where to go for their vacation.
- HannahMöchtest du lieber in die Stadt oder in eine ländliche Gegend?Would you rather go to the city or to a rural area?
- LukasIch bevorzuge die ländliche Ruhe.I prefer the rural peace.
- HannahDas klingt gut, Lukas.That sounds good, Lukas.
- LukasDann suchen wir uns ein schönes Landhaus.Then we will look for a nice country house.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rural” translations and entries ländlich, dörflich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
