noun
valley
B1
Tal (das): means 'valley' — a low area between hills used geographically or metaphorically. Neuter noun. Plural: Täler (umlaut ä). Singular genitive: des Tals. Regular declension otherwise. No fixed preposition; common pairs: ins Tal, im Tal or phrases like das Tal hinunter.
Examples
Wir wanderten durch das schöne Tal.
We hiked through the beautiful valley.
Am Ende des Tals lag ein kleiner Ort, der schon damals verlassen war.
At the end of the valley lay a small village that had already been abandoned back then.
Das Tal ist von hohen Bergen umgeben.
The valley is surrounded by high mountains.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a low green valley between two mountains labeled 'Tal'.
Tal sounds like 'tall' but think of a low place — a valley.
Short neuter nouns like 'Tal' often take 'das' — think 'das Tal'.
Notes
Tal is a common geographical term; in plural the vowel often changes (Tal → Täler).