Talsperre

reservoir dam

noun TAHL-shper-er Rare

Origin: from Tal plus sperren, to block

Also means

barrage

Usage Note

Talsperre is feminine and names both the dam blocking a valley and the resulting reservoir. The Edertalsperre is a well-known example; the dam wall alone is a Staumauer, the lake a Stausee.

Examples

"Die Talsperre versorgt die Region mit Trinkwasser."

Natural Translation

The reservoir dam supplies the region with drinking water.

Literal Translation

The reservoir-dam supplies the region with drinking-water.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Wollen and More

German modal verbs put the modal in position 2 and the real verb at the end. Master können, müssen, wollen and the rest with charts and clear examples.

June 5, 2026 5 min read