weg

/veːk/
way, path

Ich gehe den Weg entlang.

I walk along the path.


general

A path, route, or direction to a destination.

Der Weg zum Erfolg ist hart.

The path to success is hard.

Can refer to both physical and metaphorical journeys.

figurative

A means or method of achieving something.

Es gibt keinen einfachen Weg, das Problem zu lösen.

There is no easy way to solve the problem.

Often used in idiomatic expressions about life or problem-solving.

Collocations

den Weg gehento take the pathauf dem Weg seinto be on the wayden Weg weisento show the way

Related Phrases

auf dem Holzweg seinidiom
to be on the wrong track
den Weg ebnenidiom
to pave the way

Pro Tip

Capitalization

Remember that 'Weg' is always capitalized in German as it is a noun.

Gold Rule

Literal vs. Figurative

Use 'Weg' for both physical paths and abstract journeys, but be mindful of context.

Word Origin

From Middle High German 'wec', from Old High German 'weg', from Proto-Germanic 'wegaz'. Related to English 'way' and Dutch 'weg'.

Usage Notes

In German, 'Weg' is always capitalized as it is a noun. It can refer to both literal paths and abstract concepts like progress or solutions.

Word Breakdown

Weg
path or way
root
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