beggar
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beggar
A person who lives in poverty and asks other people on the street or in public places for money, food, or other alms.
Am Bahnhof saß ein alter Bettler mit einem Hund.
An old beggar with a dog was sitting at the train station.
The noun 'der Bettler' (the beggar) belongs to the word family of the verb 'betteln' (to beg). The action itself is called 'das Betteln' (begging).
Er musste betteln, um zu überleben.
He had to beg in order to survive.
Typical verbs used in connection with a beggar are 'sitzen' (to sit), 'bitten' (to ask), or '(jemandem etwas) geben' (to give someone something).
Ein Bettler saß am Eingang des Supermarkts.
A beggar was sitting at the entrance to the supermarket.
The action of begging is often connected with the preposition 'um' and an accusative object to say what is being asked for.
Der Bettler bat die Passanten um etwas Kleingeld.
The beggar asked the passers-by for some small change.
homeless person
'der Obdachloser' and 'der Bettler' can appear in similar situations on the street, but they do not mean the same thing. An 'Obdachloser' has no fixed place of residence and often lives on the street or in an emergency shelter. A 'Bettler' asks other people for money, food, or help. The words can be confused because some homeless people also beg. But not every homeless person begs, and not every beggar has to be homeless. So pay attention to whether you are talking about the housing situation or about asking for help.
Vor dem Bahnhof bat ein Bettler die Passanten um etwas Geld.
In front of the train station, a beggar asked passers-by for some money.
Im Winter verteilt der Verein warme Kleidung an Obdachlose.
In winter, the organization distributes warm clothing to homeless people.