recipient / receiver
Loading your saved state.
recipient
A person or institution that receives something, for example a letter, a package, a message, or a payment.
Der Empfänger des Pakets muss den Erhalt mit seiner Unterschrift bestätigen.
The recipient of the package must confirm receipt with their signature.
receiver
A technical device that receives signals (such as radio waves, light, or electrical impulses) and converts them into a usable form.
Der neue WLAN-Empfänger sorgt für eine stabile Internetverbindung im ganzen Haus.
The new Wi-Fi receiver ensures a stable internet connection throughout the house.
recipient
In medicine, a person who receives an organ, tissue, or blood from a donor during a transplant or transfusion.
Nach der Operation geht es dem Empfänger der Spenderleber den Umständen entsprechend gut.
After the operation, the recipient of the donor liver is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.
'Der Empfänger' (recipient/receiver) is derived from the verb 'empfangen' (to receive). The ending '-er' forms a masculine noun that refers to the person or thing that performs the action. The recipient/receiver is therefore the one who receives something.
Wer ist der Empfänger dieser E-Mail?
Who is the recipient of this email?
The exact meaning of 'Empfänger' (recipient/receiver) becomes clear from the context. If it is about mail or money, it refers to a person. If it is about technology and signals, it refers to a device. In a medical context, it is a person who receives an organ or blood.
Bitte schreiben Sie die Adresse des Empfängers deutlich auf den Umschlag.
Please write the recipient's address clearly on the envelope.
In postal communication, the combination 'Absender und Empfänger' (sender and recipient) is a fixed pair. A common note on letters that cannot be delivered is 'Empfänger unbekannt verzogen' (recipient moved, address unknown).
Der Brief kam zurück mit dem Vermerk: „Empfänger unbekannt“.
The letter came back with the note: 'recipient unknown'.
In the technical meaning, 'Empfänger' (receiver) is often the second part of a compound noun. The first part describes what is being received, for example 'Satellitenempfänger' (satellite receiver) or 'Funkempfänger' (radio receiver).
Für den Fernseher brauchen wir einen neuen Satellitenempfänger.
We need a new satellite receiver for the TV.
radio
A Radio usually means the complete everyday device used to listen to radio programs. Empfänger (receiver) is the more technical and broader term for a device or component that receives and converts signals. Empfänger is therefore appropriate for the receiving unit inside a radio.
Der Techniker tauscht den defekten Empfänger im Radio aus.
The technician is replacing the defective receiver in the radio.
Das Radio in der Küche spielt jeden Morgen Nachrichten.
The radio in the kitchen plays the news every morning.
