das
Bohrloch
💡 What exactly is a Bohrloch?
Das Bohrloch (neuter noun) refers to a depression or opening in solid material created by drilling (*bohren*). It's a Loch (hole) made using a Bohrer (drill).
Typical contexts include:
- 🔩 Crafts & Construction: Holes for screws (*Schrauben*), dowels (*Dübel*), cable glands (*Kabeldurchführungen*), etc.
- 🌍 Geology & Mining: Exploratory drilling (*Erkundungsbohrungen*), well drilling (*Brunnenbohrungen*), drilling for resource extraction (*Rohstoffgewinnung*), e.g., oil (*Erdöl*) or natural gas (*Erdgas*).
- 🔬 Technology & Science: Precision drilling in components (*Bauteilen*), sample collection (*Probeentnahmen*).
It's a compound word formed from bohren (to drill) and Loch (hole).
🧐 Grammar Spotlight: das Bohrloch
The word "Bohrloch" is a neuter noun (*sächliches Substantiv*) and therefore uses the article das. It's composed of "bohren" (to drill) and "Loch" (hole). Since "das Loch" is neuter, "das Bohrloch" is also neuter.
Declension
| Case | Article | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Bohrloch |
| Genitive | des | Bohrloch(e)s |
| Dative | dem | Bohrloch(e) |
| Accusative | das | Bohrloch |
| Case | Article | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bohrlöcher |
| Genitive | der | Bohrlöcher |
| Dative | den | Bohrlöchern |
| Accusative | die | Bohrlöcher |
Example Sentences
- Der Handwerker bohrte ein tiefes Bohrloch in die Wand.
(The craftsman drilled a deep borehole into the wall.) - Durch das Bohrloch wurde eine Probe des Gesteins entnommen.
(A sample of the rock was taken through the borehole.) - Die Tiefe des Bohrlochs betrug mehrere tausend Meter.
(The depth of the borehole was several thousand meters.) - Viele kleine Bohrlöcher wurden für die Montage benötigt.
(Many small boreholes were needed for the assembly.)
💬 How to Use Bohrloch
"Das Bohrloch" is a very specific term. You use it whenever a hole (*Loch*) has been created through a drilling process (*Bohrvorgang*), whether with a hand drill (*Handbohrmaschine*) or a large industrial drilling rig (*Bohranlage*).
- In everyday life/crafts: When drilling holes for dowels or screws ("Ich brauche noch ein Bohrloch für das Regal." - I still need a borehole for the shelf.).
- In technology/industry: For geological surveys (*geologische Untersuchungen*), in mining (*Bergbau*), or oil extraction (*Erdölförderung*) ("Das Bohrloch erreichte eine Tiefe von 5000 Metern." - The borehole reached a depth of 5000 meters.).
- Distinction: A naturally formed hole (e.g., a hole in the ground, *Erdloch*, or a hole in a rock, *Felsloch*) is not a Bohrloch. A punched or milled hole is also usually not primarily called a Bohrloch, although the lines can blur. The word emphasizes the creation process through bohren (drilling).
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article Aid: Think of "das Loch" (the hole). A Bohrloch is just a specific type of hole, so it stays neuter: das Bohrloch.
Meaning Aid: What do you do with a Bohrer (drill)? You bohr(en) (drill). What do you create? A Loch (hole). Put them together: A Bohr-Loch (borehole). It's quite logical!
↔️ Similar and Opposite: Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Die Bohrung: Often used synonymously, sometimes emphasizes the drilling process itself or the result in a technical context. (*Careful: die Bohrung is feminine!*)
- Das Loch: General term for hole, not specifically made by drilling. Every *Bohrloch* is a *Loch*, but not every *Loch* is a *Bohrloch*.
- Der Schacht: Usually larger and deeper than a simple *Bohrloch*, often for access (e.g., mine shaft - *Bergwerksschacht*, elevator shaft - *Aufzugsschacht*). (*Careful: der Schacht is masculine!*)
Antonyms (Opposites - more conceptual)
- Die Oberfläche: The surface, before drilling occurs.
- Die Füllung / Der Pfropfen: Something that closes or fills a *Bohrloch* (filling / plug).
- Die Erhebung / Der Hügel: The opposite of a depression (elevation / hill).
⚠️ Note: "Die Bohrung" can also refer to the *act* of drilling itself, not just the resulting hole.
😂 A Little Joke
DE: Warum sind Bohrlöcher so direkt?
Weil sie immer gleich auf den Punkt kommen!
EN: Why are boreholes so direct?
Because they always get straight to the point!
✍️ A Little Poem
DE:
Ein Bohrer surrt, schafft tief ein Loch,
mal klein für Dübel, mal riesig noch.
Das Bohrloch zeigt, was unten liegt,
ob Stein, ob Öl, das tief drin wiegt.
Ein Werk der Technik, präzis und klar,
entstanden durch die Bohrerschar.
EN:
A drill whirs, creating a deep hole,
Sometimes small for dowels, sometimes huge on the whole.
The borehole shows what lies below,
Whether stone or oil, that weighs deep, you know.
A work of technology, precise and clear,
Created by the drilling gear.
🕵️♀️ Who Am I? A Riddle
DE:
Ich bin kein Krater, doch tief kann ich sein.
Ein Bohrer schafft mich, mal groß, mal klein.
Man sucht durch mich nach Öl und Erz,
oder hängt ein Bild auf – ist das kein Scherz?
Was bin ich?
... Das Bohrloch
EN:
I'm not a crater, but deep I can be.
A drill creates me, for all to see.
Through me, they search for oil and ore,
Or hang a picture up – it's not a chore!
What am I?
... Das Bohrloch (The Borehole)
⚙️ More Insights into Bohrloch
Word Composition
The word "Bohrloch" is a clear example of a German compound noun (*Kompositum*):
- bohr- : Stem of the verb "bohren" (to drill)
- -loch : Noun "das Loch" (the hole)
The gender is determined by the final noun ("Loch"), hence "das Bohrloch" (neuter).
Trivia
- The deepest borehole in the world is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, exceeding 12 kilometers (over 7.5 miles) in depth.
- Boreholes (*Bohrlöcher*) play a crucial role in geothermal energy (*Geothermie*) for extracting heat from the earth (*Erdwärme*).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Bohrloch?
The word "Bohrloch" is neuter and always uses the article das. It refers to a hole created by drilling. The plural is "die Bohrlöcher".