forklift
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forklift
A motorized industrial truck with forks for lifting, transporting, and stacking pallets and other loads. It is mainly used in warehouses, factories, and ports.
Der Gabelstapler hebt die schwere Palette mühelos auf das oberste Regal.
The forklift effortlessly lifts the heavy pallet onto the top shelf.
The word is a clear compound of 'die Gabel' (fork) and 'der Stapler' (stacker). A 'Stapler' is a device that stacks things, meaning it places them on top of one another. The 'Gabelstapler' (forklift) does this with the help of a fork.
Ohne den Gabelstapler könnten wir die schweren Kisten nicht bewegen.
Without the forklift, we wouldn't be able to move the heavy boxes.
In a work context, people often say 'Gabelstapler fahren' (to drive a forklift). Other typical verbs are 'einen Gabelstapler bedienen' (to operate a forklift) or 'etwas mit dem Gabelstapler transportieren' (to transport something with the forklift).
Wer in diesem Lager arbeiten will, muss Gabelstapler fahren können.
Anyone who wants to work in this warehouse must be able to drive a forklift.
In order to be allowed to drive a forklift in Germany, you need a special permit. This is often called 'der Gabelstaplerschein' (forklift license).
Für den Job im Lager musste ich zuerst meinen Gabelstaplerschein machen.
For the warehouse job, I first had to get my forklift license.