beam / bar
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beam
A long, thick, load-bearing structural element made of wood, steel, or concrete, used for example for ceilings or roof structures.
Die alten, freigelegten Holzbalken geben dem Wohnzimmer einen rustikalen Charme.
The old exposed wooden beams give the living room a rustic charm.
In construction, 'Balken' (beam) refers to a load-bearing element. You can recognize this meaning from combinations with materials such as 'Holzbalken' (wooden beam), 'Stahlbalken' (steel beam), or adjectives such as 'tragender Balken' (load-bearing beam).
Das Dach wird von massiven Holzbalken getragen.
The roof is supported by massive wooden beams.
In a digital context, a 'Balken' (bar) is a graphical indicator. The word is often found in compounds that describe its function, e.g. 'Fortschrittsbalken' (progress bar), 'Ladebalken' (loading bar), or 'Balkendiagramm' (bar chart).
Der blaue Balken zeigt an, wie viel Speicherplatz noch frei ist.
The blue bar shows how much storage space is still free.
In sports, especially gymnastics, the 'Balken' (balance beam) is a piece of equipment. The typical phrase is 'am Balken turnen' (to do gymnastics on the balance beam). The full name of the apparatus is 'Schwebebalken' (balance beam).
Sie trainiert jeden Tag mehrere Stunden am Balken.
She trains for several hours on the balance beam every day.
sponsor / carrier
'der Träger' and 'der Balken' can both mean a structural element that supports weight. 'Der Balken' describes the concrete form more: a long, thick piece made of wood, steel, or concrete. 'Der Träger' describes the function in a building more: it supports loads and transfers them onward. So a Balken can be a Träger if it actually has a load-bearing function. The words can be confused because on a construction site they often refer to the same thing. If the shape is important, you are more likely to say 'Balken'; if the load-bearing function is important, you are more likely to say 'Träger'.
Für das Dach brauchen wir morgen noch einen langen Balken aus Holz.
For the roof, we still need a long wooden beam tomorrow.
Der neue Träger hält die Decke über dem großen Raum.
The new beam supports the ceiling over the large room.