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Glite Dictionary
Frankfurt on the Main

Frankfurt on the Main

4.3
A large city in central Germany that is an important banking and trade centre
  • proper noun
translation icon : Fráncfort del Meno
  • The European Central Bank has its headquarters in Frankfurt on the Main.

Examples

  • Many international conferences are held in Frankfurt on the Main each year.

  • After flying into Frankfurt on the Main, we took a train to Berlin.

  • I visited Frankfurt on the Main last summer.

  • Have you ever been to Frankfurt on the Main?

  • The European Central Bank has its headquarters in Frankfurt on the Main, making it a key financial hub in Europe.

  • Many international conferences are held in Frankfurt on the Main each year, attracting global leaders and businesses.

  • After flying into Frankfurt on the Main, we explored the city's vibrant cultural scene before heading to Berlin.

Synonyms

Frankfurt
vsFrankfurt on the Main
41 2.5

A large city in central Germany where many banks and companies are

mentions the fuller locational name to distinguish it from similar cities
Frankfort
vsFrankfurt on the Main
3 4.9

A large German city known for banks, industry, and business

locates the city in central Germany rather than only the country

Surface Forms

Frankfurt on the Main main

Morphology

Frankfurt + on + the + Main

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Frankfurt' (place name) + the locative preposition 'on the' + 'Main' (the river name) indicates the city located on the Main River. This is a common, cross-linguistic place-naming pattern (cf. 'Frankfurt am Main'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily understand the meaning.

Etymology

Frankfurt on the Main simply says this Frankfurt sits on the Main river. People added 'on the' to show it is the Frankfurt by that river, not the other Frankfurt, so the name now means the city in central Germany beside the Main river.