convertible
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convertible
A passenger car whose roof, made of fabric or metal, can be folded back or fully retracted. The informal short form is 'Cabrio'.
Im Sommer fahren sie am liebsten mit ihrem roten Cabriolet an den See.
In summer, they prefer to drive to the lake in their red convertible.
'Cabriolet' (convertible) is the official and somewhat more formal term. In everyday speech, the short form 'das Cabrio' is almost always used.
Für den Sommerurlaub haben wir uns ein Cabrio gemietet.
We rented a convertible for our summer vacation.
A very typical phrase is 'offen fahren' (to drive with the top down). It means driving with the roof open.
Sobald die Sonne scheint, fahren wir mit dem Cabrio offen.
As soon as the sun shines, we drive with the top down in the convertible.
The special roof of a cabriolet is called 'das Verdeck' (the convertible top). Typical verbs with it are 'das Verdeck öffnen' (to open the convertible top) and 'das Verdeck schließen' (to close the convertible top).
Bei diesem Modell schließt sich das Verdeck automatisch in wenigen Sekunden.
In this model, the convertible top closes automatically in just a few seconds.
roadster
Both words can describe an open-top car, but they emphasize different features. „Roadster“ refers to a sporty, usually two-seater type of vehicle, while „Cabriolet“ highlights the foldable or retractable roof. If the description focuses on a sporty two-seater, „Roadster“ is more precise; if it focuses on the roof, „Cabriolet“ is the better choice.
Beim offenen Cabriolet lässt sich das Stoffdach vor der Fahrt vollständig versenken.
In the convertible, the fabric roof can be fully retracted before driving.
Der offene Roadster ist ein sportlicher Zweisitzer für kurvige Landstraßen.
The open-top roadster is a sporty two-seater for winding country roads.
