01
der Cup
cup
A sporting competition or tournament, often played as a knockout competition.
example
Welche Mannschaft wird dieses Jahr den DFB-Cup gewinnen?
Which team will win the DFB Cup this year?
der Cup
cup
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
In German, 'der Cup' refers to a sports competition or a trophy. A drinking vessel is not called 'Cup', but 'die Tasse' (cup, for hot drinks) or 'der Becher' (cup/mug).
EXAMPLE
Unsere Mannschaft hat den Cup dieses Jahr gewonnen.
Our team won the cup this year.
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'Cup' from the context. In sports, it refers to a competition or a trophy. In connection with clothing, it means the cup size of a bra.
EXAMPLE
Sie spielt im Finale des nationalen Cups.
She is playing in the final of the national cup.
Typical collocations
When 'Cup' means a competition, it is often combined with verbs like 'gewinnen' (to win), 'teilnehmen' (to participate), or 'ausscheiden' (to be eliminated). It is also often part of proper names like 'Weltcup' (World Cup) or 'DFB-Cup' (DFB Cup).
EXAMPLE
Leider ist unsere Mannschaft schon in der ersten Runde aus dem Cup ausgeschieden.
Unfortunately, our team was eliminated from the cup in the first round.
Compare with
Cup vs Wettbewerb
competition / contest
'Wettbewerb' and 'Cup' can both mean an event in which someone wants to win. 'Wettbewerb' is the general German word and fits many areas, for example sports, music, school, or ideas. 'Cup' is used mainly in sports and often for a specific tournament, for example in football or tennis. It sounds more like a fixed sporting event and often a bit more international. If the area is not sports-related, 'Wettbewerb' is usually more natural.
Cup
Im Sommer fährt Paul mit seinem Team zu einem Basketball-Cup nach Köln.
In the summer, Paul is traveling with his team to a basketball cup in Cologne.
Wettbewerb
Die Klasse nimmt an einem Wettbewerb für Umweltschutz-Ideen teil.
The class is taking part in a contest for environmental protection ideas.
In real life
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