der Besitzer
owner
The person to whom an object, an animal, or a property belongs.
EXAMPLE
Der Besitzer des Restaurants begrüßte die Gäste persönlich.
The owner of the restaurant personally greeted the guests.
der Besitzer
owner
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Besitzer' (the owner) is the person who 'besitzt' (owns) something. Both words belong to the same word family and are derived from the verb 'besitzen' (to own).
EXAMPLE
Er besitzt ein altes Auto, also ist er der Besitzer des Autos.
He owns an old car, so he is the owner of the car.
Genitive or 'von'
To express who something belongs to, after 'Besitzer' (owner) you usually use the genitive or the preposition 'von' with the dative. The genitive is somewhat more formal.
EXAMPLE
Der Besitzer des Hundes wartete im Park.
The owner of the dog was waiting in the park.
Typical collocations
Common expressions are 'den Besitzer wechseln' (to change owners) when something is sold, or the description 'stolzer Besitzer' (proud owner) when someone is very happy about what they own.
EXAMPLE
Das Haus hat vor kurzem den Besitzer gewechselt.
The house recently changed owners.
Compare with
Besitzer vs Eigentümer
owner
Besitzer generally refers to the person who owns a thing. Eigentümer explicitly emphasizes who legally owns it and who can dispose of it. Besitzer is often suitable in everyday contexts; when the legal ownership matters, Eigentümer is more precise.
Besitzer
Paul ist der Besitzer des Fahrrads, das vor dem Haus steht.
Paul is the owner of the bicycle standing in front of the house.
Eigentümer
Im Kaufvertrag wird Paul als Eigentümer des Fahrrads genannt.
The sales contract names Paul as the legal owner of the bicycle.
In real life
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