freighter
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freighter
A large ship that is specially designed for transporting goods and merchandise (freight).
Im Hafen wird gerade ein Frachter mit Containern beladen.
A freighter is currently being loaded with containers in the harbor.
The word is derived from 'die Fracht' (freight, goods). The ending '-er' here denotes a thing that has a specific function—in this case, transporting freight.
Der Frachter transportiert hauptsächlich Autos von Asien nach Europa.
The freighter mainly transports cars from Asia to Europe.
Whether a ship or an aircraft is meant can always be recognized from the context. Words like 'Hafen' (harbor), 'See' (sea), or 'Container' (container) point to a ship, while 'Flughafen' (airport), 'landen' (to land), or 'fliegen' (to fly) refer to an aircraft.
Der Frachter liegt zur Entladung im Hafen von Rotterdam.
The freighter is in the port of Rotterdam for unloading.
When a ship is meant, typical verbs are 'einen Frachter beladen/entladen' (to load/unload a freighter) or 'ein Frachter läuft in den Hafen ein' (a freighter enters the harbor). Often the type is specified more precisely, e.g. 'Containerfrachter' (container ship) or 'Tanker' (tanker).
Es dauert mehrere Stunden, einen so großen Frachter vollständig zu entladen.
It takes several hours to completely unload such a large freighter.
tanker
'Frachter' and 'Tanker' can both be large ships that transport goods. The difference lies in the type of cargo. A 'Frachter' transports goods in general, for example containers, machines, or other merchandise. A 'Tanker' is built specifically for liquids, for example oil, chemicals, or gas. Learners may confuse the words because neither one is a passenger ship. If the cargo is general, you would more likely say 'Frachter'. If it is about liquid substances, 'Tanker' is more precise.
Im Hafen wird ein Frachter mit Containern aus Asien entladen.
In the harbor, a freighter with containers from Asia is being unloaded.
Vor der Küste wartet ein Tanker mit Öl auf die Einfahrt in den Hafen.
Off the coast, a tanker carrying oil is waiting to enter the harbor.