macaw / Ara
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macaw
A large, long-tailed parrot with colorful plumage, native to the tropical forests of Central and South America.
Im Zoo bewunderten die Kinder den leuchtend roten Ara.
At the zoo, the children admired the bright red macaw.
The two meanings are easy to distinguish. If people are talking about animals, birds, the zoo, or the jungle, the parrot is meant. If they are talking about the sky, stars, or astronomy, the constellation is meant.
Der Ara ist für sein buntes Gefieder bekannt.
The macaw is known for its colorful plumage.
When the bird is meant, 'Ara' (macaw) is often combined with adjectives that describe colors. Typical examples are 'bunter Ara' (colorful macaw), 'roter Ara' (red macaw), or 'blau-gelber Ara' (blue-and-yellow macaw).
Im Vogelpark sahen wir einen wunderschönen blauen Ara.
At the bird park, we saw a beautiful blue macaw.
In the astronomical meaning, 'Ara' is almost always used together with the word 'Sternbild' (constellation). So you typically say 'das Sternbild Ara' (the constellation Ara).
Der Astronom zeigte uns die Position des Sternbilds Ara am Himmel.
The astronomer showed us the position of the constellation Ara in the sky.
altar
'der Altar' and 'der Ara' can mean the same thing in a specific context: 'Ara' is the Latin name of a constellation and means 'altar' there. In everyday German, however, 'der Altar' means the important table or place in a church or temple. 'Der Ara' is usually a large colorful parrot in everyday language. That is why 'Ara' can easily be confusing: only in astronomy does it fit with 'Altar' as the name of the constellation.
Im Astronomiekurs sucht die Klasse das Sternbild Ara auf der Karte.
In astronomy class, the class looks for the constellation Ara on the map.
Bei der Hochzeit stand das Paar vor dem Altar.
At the wedding, the couple stood in front of the altar.