berth
gb/bˈɚθ/ us/bˈɚθ/
B2
English
~ 8900
fekvőhely, fekhely, kikötőhely, hajóállás, hely, távolságot tart, nagy ívben elkerül, kiköt, elszállásol, fekvőhelyet biztosít
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a berth on [a ship/train]
We booked a sleeping berth on the overnight train to save on hotel costs.
Fekvőhelyet foglaltunk az éjszakai vonatra, hogy megspóroljuk a szállodaköltséget.
She climbed into the upper berth while her brother took the lower one.
Ő felmászott a felső fekhelyre, a testvére pedig az alsót foglalta el.
Each cabin has four berths and a small bathroom.
The ferry offers both seats and private berths for passengers.
He lay awake in his narrow berth, listening to the sounds of the ship.
Learner examples
I slept in a berth on the night train.
Az éjszakai vonaton egy fekvőhelyen aludtam.
We paid extra for a private berth on the ship.
Külön fizettünk azért, hogy saját fekvőhelyünk legyen a hajón.
The cabin has two berths, one up and one down.
My berth on the train was small but comfortable.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "berth" with "birth" because they sound similar. "Berth" is a place to sleep on a ship or train, while "birth" is when a baby is born. Also, some learners think it can be used for any bed; in modern English it is mostly used for beds on ships and trains.
Meaning
bed on a ship or train
Collocations
upper berth
|lower berth
|reserve a berth
|sleep in a berth
|a berth on the train
Synonyms
bunk (Very close in meaning, but can be used for simple beds on land as well, not just on transport.)
|
bed (More general; does not specifically suggest being on a ship or train.)
Antonyms
seat (A place to sit rather than lie down and sleep, often contrasted with a sleeping berth on trains.)
Themes
travel
|transport
|daily life
|transportation
Definition
A bed or bunk on a ship or train where you sleep.
A fixed bed or bunk, especially on a ship or train, where a person can sleep.
NOUN
C1
2
kikötőhely
B1
hajóállás
B2
Usage pattern:
a berth at [a port/terminal]
The tanker is scheduled to arrive at berth 5 tomorrow morning.
A tartályhajó a tervek szerint holnap reggel érkezik az 5-ös kikötőhelyre.
Because no berths were available, the ship had to wait offshore.
Mivel nem volt szabad kikötőhely, a hajónak a parttól távol kellett várakoznia.
Tugs helped guide the cruise liner into its berth.
Each berth at the container terminal is equipped with large cranes.
The harbor master reassigned our vessel to a different berth due to strong winds.
Learner examples
The ship waited for a free berth in the port.
A hajó arra várt a kikötőben, hogy felszabaduljon egy kikötőhely.
Our ferry used the same berth as yesterday.
A kompunk ugyanazt a kikötőhelyet használta, mint tegnap.
The captain called the port to ask for a berth.
The boat left its berth early in the morning.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "berth" and "port" are the same. A port is the whole place where ships come in; a berth is one specific place where one ship ties up. It is also easy to confuse this with the bed meaning, so context (ship sleeping vs. port operations) is important.
Meaning
place where a ship docks
Collocations
assigned berth
|vacant berth
|deep-water berth
|leave the berth
|at the berth
Synonyms
dock (Often used more generally for the whole structure or area, while "berth" is the specific spot for one ship.)
|
mooring (Focuses on the act or equipment of tying a ship, rather than the designated space in a port.)
Antonyms
open water (Refers to water away from the shore or docks, the opposite of being tied at a fixed place.)
Themes
transport
|work
|nautical
|transportation
|travel
Definition
A specific place at a port where a ship stops and is tied to the land.
A designated place at a dock, quay, or wharf where a ship is moored and can load or unload.
NOUN
C1
3
hely
A1
Usage pattern:
a [starting/playoff] berth in [a team/tournament]
The win guaranteed them a playoff berth for the first time in ten years.
A győzelem tíz év után először biztosította számukra a helyet a rájátszásban.
She is fighting for a starting berth on the national team.
Azért küzd, hogy helyet szerezzen a válogatott kezdőcsapatában.
The club missed out on a Champions League berth by a single point.
A late goal secured their berth in the final.
He lost his berth in the lineup after several poor performances.
Learner examples
The team needs one more win to get a playoff berth.
A csapatnak még egy győzelemre van szüksége, hogy helyet szerezzen a rájátszásban.
He worked hard to win a starting berth on the team.
Keményen dolgozott, hogy helyet szerezzen a kezdőcsapatban.
They lost the game and lost their berth in the final.
Her goal gave the club a berth in the tournament.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this meaning is mostly used in sports news and sports talk, especially in North American English. It is easy to mix it with the bed meaning; when you see words like "playoff", "starting", or "lineup", it is the sports meaning.
Meaning
position or spot in sports
Collocations
a starting berth
|a playoff berth
|earn a berth
|clinch a berth
|secure a berth
Synonyms
spot (Very close in meaning, commonly used in sports to mean a place in a team or event.)
|
place (More general; can refer to many types of positions, not only in sports.)
|
position (Slightly more formal; often used for roles in work as well as sports.)
Antonyms
elimination (Describes being removed from a competition, the opposite of gaining a place in it.)
Themes
sports
|work
Definition
A place that a player or team wins, for example a place in the starting team or in the playoffs.
A place or position that a person or team earns, especially a place on a team’s main lineup or in the next round of a competition.
NOUN
B2
4
Usage pattern:
give [someone/something] a wide berth
I tend to give office politics a wide berth.
Általában igyekszem nagy ívben elkerülni a munkahelyi intrikákat.
Cyclists should give parked cars a wide berth to avoid opening doors.
A kerékpárosoknak kellő oldaltávolságot kell tartaniuk a parkoló autóktól, hogy elkerüljék a kinyíló ajtókat.
Most locals give that bar a wide berth on Friday nights.
Due to the construction work, pedestrians are asked to keep a wide berth.
He gives social media a wide berth when he’s studying for exams.
Learner examples
I give that angry dog a wide berth.
Nagy ívben elkerülöm azt a dühös kutyát.
Please give the workers a wide berth.
Kérjük, tartsanak biztonságos távolságot a munkásoktól.
Tourists give the area a wide berth after dark.
Cars should give bikes a wide berth on this road.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "wide berth" means a big bed because of the other noun meaning. In modern English, "a wide berth" almost always means a lot of distance, not a physical bed. Also, it is usually used with the verbs "give" or "keep".
Meaning
distance kept away for safety
Collocations
a wide berth
|give a wide berth
|keep a wide berth
|maintain a wide berth
Synonyms
distance (General word for space or emotional separation; not limited to safety situations.)
|
space (Informal and broad; often used when requesting others not to come too close.)
Antonyms
proximity (Means being close in space, the opposite of keeping a safe distance.)
Themes
safety
|behavior
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The space you keep between you and a person or thing, usually to stay safe or avoid problems.
An amount of space kept between oneself and someone or something, usually for safety or to avoid trouble, especially in the phrase "a wide berth".
VERB
C1
5
kiköt
B1
Usage pattern:
to berth [a ship/vessel] at [a place]
The captain carefully berthed the ferry despite the strong current.
A kapitány az erős áramlás ellenére óvatosan kikötötte a kompot.
Only smaller ships can berth at the old pier.
A régi mólónál csak kisebb hajók tudnak kikötni.
The port can berth three large cruise liners at the same time.
Tugs assisted the tanker as it berthed at the new terminal.
Because of the storm, they decided not to berth the vessel that night.
Learner examples
The ship will berth at 6 a.m.
A hajó reggel hatkor fog kikötni.
The captain berthed the boat at the small dock.
A kapitány kikötötte a hajót a kis mólónál.
Two big ships can berth here.
They berthed the ferry on the east side of the port.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse "berth" instead of "dock". In everyday English, especially for non-specialists, "dock" is more common. "Berth" as a verb is more technical and is mostly used in shipping contexts.
Meaning
to dock or moor a ship
Collocations
berth the vessel
|berth alongside
|berth at the quay
|berth safely
|vessels berth here
Synonyms
dock (The most common everyday verb; used more broadly for all kinds of vehicles arriving at a terminal.)
|
moor (Focuses more on the tying or anchoring action, not necessarily at a formal dock.)
Antonyms
cast off (Means to untie and leave a dock, the opposite direction of movement compared with "berth".)
Themes
transport
|work
|nautical
|transportation
|travel
Definition
To move a ship to the place where it will stop at the port and tie it there.
To bring a ship alongside a dock or into a berth and secure it there.
VERB
C1
6
Usage pattern:
to berth [someone] in [a cabin/carriage]
The ship can berth up to 2,000 passengers.
A hajó legfeljebb 2000 utasnak tud fekvőhelyet biztosítani.
Families are berthed together in larger cabins where possible.
A családokat lehetőség szerint együtt szállásolják el nagyobb kabinokban.
All crew members are berthed in shared quarters below deck.
The sleeper train can berth only a limited number of travelers each night.
Passengers with higher tickets are berthed in more spacious compartments.
Learner examples
The boat can berth twenty guests.
A hajó húsz vendégnek tud fekvőhelyet biztosítani.
We were berthed in a small cabin at the front.
A hajó elején lévő kis kabinban szállásoltak el minket.
The train can berth one hundred people in sleeping cars.
They berthed us together in the same room.
Common mistake:
This use is quite formal and limited to specific contexts, so learners may try to use it instead of simple verbs like "sleep" or "stay". In most everyday situations, it is more natural to say "sleep on the train" or "stay in a cabin" instead of using "berth" as a verb.
Meaning
to provide a bed on transport
Collocations
berth passengers
|berth up to four people
|be berthed in a cabin
|berth all crew members
Synonyms
accommodate (Broader; can mean to provide any kind of place to stay, not only a bed on transport.)
|
house (More often used for providing a place to live, not specifically for temporary sleeping places on vehicles.)
Antonyms
turn away (Means to refuse to give a place or room, the opposite of providing a berth.)
Themes
travel
|transport
|transportation
Definition
To give someone a place to sleep on a ship or train.
To provide or arrange a sleeping place, especially a berth, for someone on a ship or train.
Grammar
Dictionary form
berth
IPA
GB/bˈɚθ/
US/bˈɚθ/
Syllables & stress
berth (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (berth)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: berth
- Plural: berths
Verb
- Base: berth
- 3rd Person Singular: berths
- Present Participle: berthing
- Past: berthed
Word family
Forms
berths
noun
berthing
verb
berthed
verb
Expressions
give [someone/something] a wide berth
1/ɡˈɪv sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ ə wˈaɪd bˈɚθ/
idiom
stay well away from something
To stay far away from a person or thing, usually because they are dangerous, unpleasant, or cause problems.
Examples
- I’d give that neighborhood a wide berth after midnight.
- Most employees give him a wide berth when he’s in a bad mood.
- Cyclists should give parked cars a wide berth to avoid accidents.
playoff berth
1/plˈeɪˌɔf bˈɚθ/
fixed phrase
place in the playoffs
A place in the playoff round that a team wins by doing well in the regular season.
Examples
- The victory secured a playoff berth for the team.
- They can clinch a playoff berth with one more win.
starting berth
1/stˈɑɹtɪŋ bˈɚθ/
fixed phrase
place in the starting lineup
The place of a player who is chosen to begin the game on the field or court, not on the bench.
Examples
- She finally earned a starting berth after three seasons as a substitute.
- He is competing with two other defenders for a starting berth.