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.
sports car
'Sportwagen' and 'Cabriolet' can be confused because both describe special cars, and some cars are both. 'Sportwagen' mainly says that a car is built to be fast and sporty. 'Cabriolet' mainly says that the roof can be opened or retracted. So a convertible does not have to be especially sporty, and a sports car does not have to have an open roof. If you are talking about speed and sporty driving, use 'Sportwagen'. If the roof is important, use 'Cabriolet' or, colloquially, 'Cabrio'.
Am Wochenende mietet Paul ein Cabriolet, weil er bei Sonne offen fahren möchte.
At the weekend, Paul is renting a convertible because he wants to drive with the top down in the sunshine.
Meine Freundin erkennt den Sportwagen sofort an seiner niedrigen Form.
My friend recognizes the sports car immediately by its low shape.