A person who practices the sport of fencing, in which people fight with bladed weapons such as an épée, foil, or saber.
example
Der deutsche Fechter gewann die Goldmedaille bei den Olympischen Spielen.
The German fencer won the gold medal at the Olympic Games.
Usage tips
Word family
The 'Fechter' (fencer) belongs to the word family around the verb 'fechten' (to fence) and the noun 'das Fechten' (fencing, the sport). A fencer is therefore a person who fences.
EXAMPLE
Schon als Kind lernte er, professionell zu fechten.
Even as a child, he learned to fence professionally.
Word formation
The ending '-er' is attached to the stem of the verb 'fechten' (to fence) to refer to the male person who performs this activity. This pattern is very common in German, e.g. 'lehren' (to teach) -> 'Lehrer' (teacher).
EXAMPLE
Der beste Fechter des Turniers kommt aus Frankreich.
The best fencer in the tournament comes from France.
Typical collocations
Different weapons are used in fencing. Therefore, 'Fechter' (fencer) is often combined with the respective weapon, for example 'Fechter mit dem Degen' (fencer with the épée), 'mit dem Florett' (with the foil), or 'mit dem Säbel' (with the saber).