transfer fee / compensation payment
Loading your saved state.
transfer fee
An amount of money paid to release a person, usually an athlete, early from an existing contract so that they can move to another club or employer.
Der Fußballverein zahlte eine rekordverdächtige Ablösesumme für den neuen Stürmer.
The football club paid a record-breaking transfer fee for the new striker.
The word consists of 'Ablöse' and 'Summe'. 'Ablöse' comes from the verb 'ablösen' (to release / to replace), which can mean 'to buy out' or 'to replace'. So it is a sum of money paid to 'release' someone or something from a contract or situation.
Die genaue Höhe der Ablösesumme wurde nicht bekannt gegeben.
The exact amount of the transfer fee was not disclosed.
The context reveals the exact meaning. If sports clubs, players, and contracts are being discussed, it is about an athlete transfer. If it is about apartments, previous tenants, and furnishings such as kitchens, it refers to the payment made when a tenant changes.
Der Verein konnte die hohe Ablösesumme für den Verteidiger nicht aufbringen.
The club could not raise the high transfer fee for the defender.
In a sports context, an 'Ablösesumme' (transfer fee) is 'paid', 'demanded', or 'invested'. It is often described with adjectives such as 'high', 'low', or 'record-breaking'.
Für den jungen talentierten Spieler wurde eine hohe Ablösesumme gezahlt.
A high transfer fee was paid for the young, talented player.
In a rental context, an 'Ablösesumme' (compensation payment) is usually 'demanded' by the previous tenant or 'paid' by the next tenant. It often refers to specific items, as in 'für die Küche' (for the kitchen) or 'für die Möbel' (for the furniture).
Der Vormieter verlangt eine faire Ablösesumme für die neuwertige Küche.
The previous tenant is demanding a fair compensation payment for the like-new kitchen.
distance
'Abstand' and 'Ablösesumme' can, in certain everyday situations, both have to do with a payment when something is transferred, especially with apartments. 'Ablösesumme' is the more precise word here: it means money that you pay, for example, to the previous tenant for a kitchen or furniture, or in sports, money paid for someone to move out of a contract. 'Abstand' is normally a different word and mainly means distance. That is why confusion can easily arise here, especially when someone speaks briefly about a payment. If it is clearly about money, 'Ablösesumme' is usually more precise and safer.
Für die Küche verlangt der Vormieter eine Ablösesumme von 800 Euro.
The previous tenant is asking for a compensation payment of 800 euros for the kitchen.
Nach der Arbeit messe ich den Abstand zwischen dem Regal und der Tür.
After work, I measure the distance between the shelf and the door.