facility / attachment / investment
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facility
A complex of buildings, equipment, or areas that serves a specific purpose.
Die neue Sportanlage verfügt über ein Schwimmbad und mehrere Tennisplätze.
The new sports facility has a swimming pool and several tennis courts.
system
A technical device or a system made up of several components.
Er hat sich eine teure Stereo-Anlage gekauft.
He bought himself an expensive stereo system.
attachment
A document or file attached to a letter or an email.
Meinen Lebenslauf finden Sie in der Anlage.
You will find my résumé in the attachment.
investment
An investment of money with the expectation that it will increase in value.
Immobilien gelten als sichere Anlage.
Real estate is considered a safe investment.
park / grounds
A designed green space, for example a park.
Die öffentliche Anlage am Flussufer lädt zum Verweilen ein.
The public park on the riverbank invites people to linger.
aptitude
An innate quality, talent, or predisposition of a person.
Sie hat eine natürliche Anlage für Sprachen.
She has a natural aptitude for languages.
'Die Anlage' is the noun related to the verb 'anlegen' (to lay out / to invest / to attach). The many meanings of the noun (e.g., a green space, a device, a financial investment) reflect the different meanings of the verb: to create something, invest, or attach something.
Die Gemeinde will einen neuen Park anlegen.
The municipality wants to lay out a new park.
Because 'Anlage' has many meanings, it is often used in compound nouns to make the meaning clearer. Examples are 'Parkanlage' (park grounds), 'Stereoanlage' (stereo system), or 'Geldanlage' (financial investment).
Meine alte Stereoanlage funktioniert nicht mehr richtig.
My old stereo system no longer works properly.
In the context of emails and letters, the fixed expression 'in der Anlage' (in the attachment) or 'als Anlage' (as an attachment) is used. It is a clear signal that a document is attached.
Wie besprochen sende ich Ihnen die Dokumente in der Anlage.
As discussed, I am sending you the documents in the attachment.
When the context is finance, you can recognize this meaning from words like 'Geld' (money), 'Kapital' (capital), 'Aktien' (stocks), 'Immobilien' (real estate), or adjectives like 'sicher' (safe) and 'riskant' (risky).
Aktien sind eine riskantere Anlage als ein Sparkonto.
Stocks are a riskier investment than a savings account.
This meaning can often be recognized from adjectives like 'öffentlich' (public), 'grün' (green), or 'gepflegt' (well maintained). It usually describes a park or a similar green space designed by people.
Die Kinder spielen in der öffentlichen Anlage hinter dem Haus.
The children are playing in the public park behind the house.
When 'Anlage' means an innate talent, it is often combined with the prepositions 'für' (for) or 'zu' (for / toward) and a noun. The typical construction is 'eine Anlage für/zu etwas haben' (to have an aptitude for something).
Er hat eine musikalische Anlage und lernt sehr schnell Instrumente.
He has musical aptitude and learns instruments very quickly.
system
For technical components, System primarily refers to how they work together and can also mean an abstract overall structure. Anlage usually refers to the specific technical unit that has been set up. When the focus is on structure and function, System is appropriate; for the installed equipment, Anlage is usually more precise.
Der Techniker wartet die im Keller installierte Heizungsanlage.
The technician services the heating system installed in the basement.
Der Techniker erklärt, wie das System der Heizung seine Komponenten steuert.
The technician explains how the heating system controls its components.
