binoculars
Loading your saved state.
binoculars
An optical device with two lenses that you can look through with both eyes in order to see distant objects enlarged and closer up.
Mit dem Fernglas konnten wir die Vögel auf der anderen Seite des Sees genau beobachten.
With the binoculars, we were able to observe the birds on the other side of the lake closely.
The word is a combination of 'fern' (far away) and 'das Glas' (glass). So literally, it is a 'glass' for seeing into the distance.
Nimm das Fernglas mit, dann können wir die Tiere am Horizont besser sehen.
Take the binoculars with you; then we can see the animals on the horizon better.
Common verbs used with 'Fernglas' (binoculars) are 'beobachten' (to observe), 'sehen' (to see), and 'schauen' (to look). It often appears with the preposition 'mit' (with) or 'durch' (through).
Er beobachtete die Schiffe am Horizont mit seinem Fernglas.
He observed the ships on the horizon with his binoculars.
Although a Fernglas has two openings for the eyes, the word is normally used in the singular in German. You say 'einem Fernglas' (a pair of binoculars).
Ich habe mir für die Wanderung ein neues Fernglas gekauft.
I bought myself a new pair of binoculars for the hike.
telescope
'das Teleskop' and 'das Fernglas' both help you see distant things larger and closer. A telescope is usually more powerful and is used especially for stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. Binoculars are often held in the hand and looked through with both eyes, for example when hiking, at the theater, or when watching birds. The words can be confused because both point into the distance. When it is about astronomy, 'Teleskop' is more precise; for everyday situations and nature, 'Fernglas' usually fits better.
Mit dem Fernglas beobachteten die Kinder ein Reh am Waldrand.
With the binoculars, the children watched a deer at the edge of the forest.
Das Teleskop des Vereins steht auf einem Hügel außerhalb der Stadt.
The club's telescope stands on a hill outside the city.