01
der Court
court
A playing field used for certain sports such as tennis, basketball, or squash.
example
Sie haben für 18 Uhr einen Tennis-Court reserviert.
They reserved a tennis court for 6 p.m.
der Court
court
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Court' from context. If people are talking about sports like tennis or basketball, it means the playing field. In texts about history, kings, or nobility, it refers to the royal court.
EXAMPLE
Die beiden besten Spieler der Welt standen sich auf dem Center Court gegenüber.
The two best players in the world faced each other on Center Court.
Typical collocations
In a sports context, 'Court' is often combined with the sport, e.g. 'Tennis-Court' (tennis court) or 'Basketball-Court' (basketball court). Common verbs are 'einen Court mieten' (to rent a court) or 'auf dem Court stehen' (to be on the court).
EXAMPLE
Wir haben für Samstag einen Squash-Court gebucht.
We booked a squash court for Saturday.
Register and style
The meaning 'Hof eines Herrschers' (court of a ruler) is historical. Today it is only used when speaking or writing about past eras, for example in novels, films, or history books.
EXAMPLE
Der junge Dichter wurde an den Court des Herzogs eingeladen.
The young poet was invited to the duke's court.
Compare with
Court vs Platz
place / space
'der Platz' and 'der Court' can both mean an area for sports. 'Platz' is the more general German word and fits many sports, for example 'Fußballplatz' (soccer field) or 'Tennisplatz' (tennis court). 'Court' is used mainly for certain sports such as tennis, basketball, or squash, and it sounds more sporty or more specific. The words can be confused because both can refer to a playing area. As a simple guide: if you are talking generally about a sports area, 'Platz' is usually safe. 'Court' fits when this term is common in that sport.
Court
Heute spielen wir im Kurs auf dem kleinen Squash-Court.
Today in class, we're playing on the small squash court.
Platz
Nach dem Regen war der Fußballplatz noch zu nass für das Training.
After the rain, the soccer field was still too wet for practice.
In real life
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