Shade is an area the sun doesn't reach, while a shadow is the dark shape a person or object casts. It's cooler in the shade, so people go there to get out of the heat; a shadow is something you see on a wall or on the ground.
shade or shadow — can you pick the right one?
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in the shade; in the shade of + tree/building; stay/keep + in the shade; cast a shadow; somebody's shadow; in the shadow of + famous person
- It was 35 degrees, so we had lunch in the shade of an old oak tree.
- In the evening light, our shadows on the beach looked twice our height.
- Try to park in the shade, or the seats will be too hot to touch.
What changed
First versionIt's too hot here, so let's sit in the shadow of that tree.
RevisionIt's too hot here, so let's sit in the shade of that tree.
Both words are about places where sunlight is blocked, so in the shadow of a tree can seem correct. But when you mean somewhere cool, out of the heat, you need shade: in the shade of that tree. A shadow is an outline, not a place to rest.
The figurative idea of being in someone's shadow, staying unnoticed next to a more famous person, uses shadow: She grew up in the shadow of her famous sister. Shade has its own second meaning, “a version of a colour”: a darker shade of green.
Your turn
It's 38 degrees today, so keep the dog in the ___ and give him plenty of water.
Show the answer
shade — On a hot day the dog has to be kept out of the sun, somewhere without direct sunlight: shade. A shadow is the dark outline an object casts, not a cool place, so a native speaker wouldn't say keep the dog in the shadow.
Describe a hot day on holiday or in your city. Say where you hid from the sun, and mention someone's shadow on the ground or a wall.
On the hottest afternoon in Rome we rested in the shade of a church and watched the long shadows of tourists crossing the square.
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