application / app / appliqué
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application / app
A computer program for a specific function, especially an application for smartphones or tablets. The short form 'App' is often used.
Ich habe mir eine neue Applikation zur Fotobearbeitung heruntergeladen.
I downloaded a new application for photo editing.
Nouns ending in '-tion' are always feminine in German (die Applikation) and often come from Latin. They usually refer to a process or the result of it.
Die Applikation der neuen Software dauert nur wenige Minuten.
The application of the new software takes only a few minutes.
Careful: 'Applikation' never means 'Bewerbung' (application) for a job or university. The English word 'application' has this meaning, but in German only the word 'Bewerbung' is used for it.
Er schreibt gerade eine Bewerbung für ein Praktikum.
He is currently writing an application for an internship.
The context makes the meaning clear. In the area of technology, it refers to software. In medicine or agriculture, it means applying a substance. In fashion, it refers to a decoration on fabric.
Die Applikation der Salbe sollte zweimal täglich erfolgen.
The application of the ointment should be done twice daily.
In everyday language, the short form 'die App' is almost always used for software on a smartphone. The word 'Applikation' sounds very technical or formal in this context.
Welche Apps hast du auf deinem Handy installiert?
Which apps do you have installed on your phone?
program
'das Programm' and 'die Applikation' can both mean software. 'Programm' is the more general and very normal everyday term for software on a computer, or also for an application. 'Applikation' also means an application, especially on smartphones or tablets; people often simply say 'App' for this. Learners may confuse the words because both refer to technical applications. 'Programm' is broader and also fits classic computer software. 'Applikation' sounds more technical or formal and is less natural in everyday language than 'App'.
Meine Schwester nutzt eine Applikation, um jeden Tag neue Wörter zu üben.
My sister uses an application to practice new words every day.
Auf meinem Laptop öffnet das Programm die Datei nicht richtig.
On my laptop, the program does not open the file properly.