das
Tal
🏞️ What does "das Tal" mean?
Das Tal (noun, neuter) means valley. It refers to an elongated, low-lying landform, usually situated between mountains or hills. Often, a river or stream flows through a Tal.
There is only one article for this word: das. It is always neuter.
- Meaning: The geographical depression between elevations.
🚨 There's no risk of confusion with other articles for this word.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-al → mostly neutral.
Exceptions: -aal nouns are always masculine.
📐 Grammar of "das Tal" in Detail
The noun Tal is neuter (sächlich). Here is its declension:
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Tal |
| Accusative | das | Tal |
| Dative | dem | Tal |
| Genitive | des | Tals / Tales |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Täler |
| Accusative | die | Täler |
| Dative | den | Tälern |
| Genitive | der | Täler |
Example Sentences 📝
- Das Tal ist sehr grün und fruchtbar. (The valley is very green and fertile.)
- Wir wanderten durch das malerische Tal. (We hiked through the picturesque valley.)
- In dem tiefen Tal hörte man das Echo. (In the deep valley, one could hear the echo.)
- Die Schönheit des Tals zog viele Touristen an. (The beauty of the valley attracted many tourists.)
- Die Flüsse formten über Jahrtausende diese tiefen Täler. (The rivers formed these deep valleys over millennia.)
- Von den Berggipfeln blickten wir auf die nebelverhangenen Täler herab. (From the mountain peaks, we looked down upon the fog-covered valleys.)
🗺️ How to use "das Tal"?
Das Tal is primarily used in geographical and landscape contexts.
- Typical Contexts: Descriptions of landscapes (Landschaften), hiking routes (Wanderrouten), geographical locations (geografische Lageangaben), weather reports (Wetterberichte) for specific regions.
- Common Adjectives: tief (deep), breit (wide), eng (narrow), grün (green), fruchtbar (fertile), malerisch (picturesque), abgelegen (remote), sonnig (sunny), neblig (foggy).
- Related Terms:
- Die Talsohle: The lowest point in the cross-section of a valley (valley floor).
- Die Talstation: The lower station of a cable car or lift (valley station).
- Das Bergtal: A valley located in a mountain region (mountain valley).
- Das Flusstal: A valley formed by a river (river valley).
- Distinction: A Tal is a depression, contrasting with an elevation like der Berg (mountain) or der Hügel (hill). A Schlucht (gorge, canyon) is a specifically narrow and deep valley with steep walls.
💡 Mnemonics for "das Tal"
- For the article "das": Imagine a valley as a neutral place, das no-man's-land between two mountains. Neutral places in German often take the neuter article 'das' (like das Land - the country, das Gebiet - the area, das Tal - the valley).
- For the meaning "Valley": The German word Tal sounds a bit like the English word "dale" (which also means valley). Or picture water falling into the **Tal**.
Sometimes you have to go through a deep Tal (a neutral phase) to reach the summit.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Die Senke: A general depression in the terrain, not necessarily elongated.
- Die Mulde: A gentle, often smaller depression.
- Die Niederung: A low-lying area, often flat and extensive (lowland).
- (poetic) Die Au / Aue: Often a flat landscape along a river, meadowland in a valley.
⚠️ Be careful: A Schlucht (gorge/canyon) is a type of valley, but more specific (very narrow and steep).
😄 A Little Joke
Warum hat das Tal keine Geheimnisse?
Weil die Berge alles überblicken! 😄
---
Why does the valley have no secrets?
Because the mountains overlook everything! 😄
✍️ Poem about the Valley
Zwischen Bergen, grün und weit,
Liegt das Tal in Stille breit.
Ein Fluss durchzieht's mit sanftem Lauf,
Nimmt die Natur ihren freien Lauf.
Mal sonnig warm, mal nebelgrau,
Bist du ein Anblick, wunderschön, wow!
---
Between mountains, green and wide,
Lies the valley in silence, broad.
A river runs through with gentle flow,
Nature takes its course, letting things grow.
Sometimes sunny warm, sometimes foggy gray,
You are a sight, beautiful, hooray!
❓ Little Riddle
Ich lieg' ganz tief, bin lang und breit,
Von Höhen rings umgeben weit.
Ein Fluss fließt oft durch meine Mitte,
Was bin ich? Rate, bitte, bitte!
Lösung: das Tal
---
I lie quite deep, I'm long and wide,
Surrounded far by heights on every side.
A river often flows right through my middle,
What am I? Guess now, solve this riddle!
Solution: das Tal (the valley)
🧐 Additional Info
- Etymology: The word Tal comes from the Old High German word 'tal' and has hardly changed in form or meaning. It is related to words in many Germanic languages (cf. English 'dale').
- Compounds: Tal is part of many compound words, such as Talstation (valley station), Talsohle (valley floor), Talweg (valley path), Bergtal (mountain valley), Flusstal (river valley), Seitental (side valley), Haupttal (main valley), Talblick (valley view).
- Famous Valleys: Das Rheintal (Rhine Valley), das Elbtal (Elbe Valley), das Inntal (Inn Valley) (Germany/Austria), Yosemite Valley (USA - often referred to by its English name even in German contexts, but technically *das Yosemite-Tal*), das Loiretal (Loire Valley, France - *das Loiretal*).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Tal?
The word "Tal", meaning valley, is always neuter: das Tal (plural: die Täler).