die
Ostküste
🌊 What exactly is an Ostküste?
Die Ostküste (feminine noun) means the East Coast. It refers to the coastal section of a country, island, or continent that faces east.
It's a compound word:
- Ost: The cardinal direction East.
- Küste: The coast, the transitional area between land and sea.
In German, it often refers specifically to the East Coast of the USA or the German Baltic Sea coast (die deutsche Ostseeküste), but it can generally refer to any east coast.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Ostküste
The word "Ostküste" is a feminine noun. Therefore, the article is always die.
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Ostküste | eine Ostküste |
| Genitive | der Ostküste | einer Ostküste |
| Dative | der Ostküste | einer Ostküste |
| Accusative | die Ostküste | eine Ostküste |
| Case | Definite Article |
|---|---|
| Nominative | die Ostküsten |
| Genitive | der Ostküsten |
| Dative | den Ostküsten |
| Accusative | die Ostküsten |
📝 Example Sentences
- Wir verbringen unseren Urlaub an der deutschen Ostküste.
(We are spending our vacation on the German East Coast.) - Die Metropolen an der Ostküste der USA sind dicht besiedelt.
(The metropolises on the East Coast of the USA are densely populated.) - An vielen Ostküsten geht die Sonne über dem Meer auf.
(On many east coasts, the sun rises over the sea.)
🗺️ Everyday Usage
"Die Ostküste" is used to describe geographical locations.
- Context: Geography, travel, weather reports, news.
- Specific Meanings: Depending on the context, a specific east coast is often implied (e.g., USA, Germany, Australia). Without further context, it's a general term.
- Contrast: It is the direct opposite of "die Westküste" (West Coast). It differs from "die Nordküste" (North Coast) and "die Südküste" (South Coast).
Sometimes the term is used metaphorically to describe a certain lifestyle or culture associated with a particular east coast (e.g., the "East Coast lifestyle" in the US).
💡 Mnemonics for Ostküste
Article Mnemonic: The word Küste ends in 'e', just like the feminine article die. Whether it's Nord-, Süd-, West- or Ostküste, it's always based on die Küste!
Meaning Mnemonic: Where does the sun rise? In the East (Ost)! So, the Ostküste is where the land first greets the morning sun.
🔄 Similar and Opposing Terms
⚠️ Caution: Don't confuse "Ostküste" with "Ostsee-Küste" (Baltic Sea Coast). While the German east coast is the Baltic Sea coast, "Ostküste" can refer to any east coast worldwide.
😄 A Little Joke
Warum gehen Fische nie an die Ostküste?
(Why do fish never go to the East Coast?)
Weil sie Angst haben, im Osten zu 'veröden'! 😉
(Because they're afraid of 'becoming desolate/deserted' (veröden) in the East! - It's a pun, 'veröden' sounds a bit like a negative outcome)
📜 Poem about the East Coast
Die Sonne steigt im Morgenrot, (The sun rises in the dawn red,)
Am Strand, wo Ebbe wird zur Flut. (On the beach, where low tide turns to high tide.)
Die Ostküste erwacht zum Tag, (The East Coast awakens to the day,)
Ein Möwenschrei, den jeder mag. (A seagull's cry that everyone likes.)
Der Wind weht salzig durch das Haar, (The wind blows salty through the hair,)
Das Meer so blau, so wunderbar. (The sea so blue, so wonderful.)
Von Rügen bis nach Usedom, (From Rügen to Usedom,)
Ein Küstentraum, man ist willkommen. (A coastal dream, one is welcome.)
❓ Little Riddle
Ich liege dort, wo der Tag beginnt,
(I lie where the day begins,)
Wo die Sonne morgens übers Wasser rinnt.
(Where the sun flows over the water in the morning.)
Amerika hat mich, Deutschland auch,
(America has me, Germany too,)
Ich bin das Gegenteil vom westlichen Bauch.
(I am the opposite of the western belly/side.)
Was bin ich? / What am I?
(... Die Ostküste / The East Coast)
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition:
The word "Ostküste" is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:
- Ost (determinant): Specifies the direction (East).
- Küste (base word): Determines the grammatical gender (feminine, because it's die Küste).
Famous East Coasts:
- Die Ostküste der USA (The East Coast of the USA - from Maine to Florida)
- Die deutsche Ostseeküste (The German Baltic Sea Coast)
- Die Ostküste Australiens (The East Coast of Australia - Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria)
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Ostküste?
The word "Ostküste" is feminine. The correct article is always die Ostküste (e.g., die Ostküste der USA - the East Coast of the USA). The plural is die Ostküsten.