journeyman / fellow
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journeyman
A craftsperson who has successfully completed their vocational training (apprenticeship) but is not yet a master craftsperson.
Nach seiner Prüfung durfte er als Geselle in der Tischlerei arbeiten.
After his exam, he was allowed to work as a journeyman in the carpentry workshop.
fellow
An outdated or literary term for a companion, associate, or comrade.
Er war ein fröhlicher Geselle, mit dem man gerne Zeit verbrachte.
He was a cheerful fellow with whom people enjoyed spending time.
fellow
A derogatory term for a person with negative qualities, often in fixed expressions such as 'ein übler Geselle' (a nasty fellow).
Vor diesem zwielichtigen Gesellen solltest du dich in Acht nehmen.
You should beware of this shady fellow.
'Der Geselle' (the journeyman/fellow) is an N-declension noun. This means it takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular. This is an important rule for correct usage.
Der Geselle arbeitet in der Werkstatt.
The journeyman works in the workshop.
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about crafts, training, or a master craftsperson, it means the craftsperson. In combination with negative adjectives such as 'übel' (nasty) or 'zwielichtig' (shady), it means a suspicious person.
Der Tischler sucht einen neuen Gesellen.
The carpenter is looking for a new journeyman.
In German crafts and trades, the 'Geselle' (journeyman) is an important part of the training system. After the apprenticeship (vocational training), you become a journeyman and can later take the exam to become a master craftsperson.
Nach drei Jahren Lehre hat er seine Prüfung zum Gesellen bestanden.
After three years of apprenticeship, he passed his journeyman's exam.
In the negative meaning, 'Geselle' (fellow) is almost always used in fixed expressions with an adjective. Typical examples are 'ein übler Geselle' (a nasty fellow), 'ein komischer Geselle' (a strange fellow), or 'ein dunkler Geselle' (a sinister fellow).
Von diesem komischen Gesellen würde ich kein Auto kaufen.
I wouldn't buy a car from that strange fellow.
