guardian / goalkeeper
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guardian
A person who guards, protects, or supervises something or someone. This can refer literally to animals or a place, or figuratively to values, laws, or traditions.
Als Archivar war er der Hüter wertvoller historischer Dokumente.
As an archivist, he was the guardian of valuable historical documents.
goalkeeper
In sports, a colloquial term for the goalkeeper, also called 'Torhüter' in German.
Der Hüter parierte den Elfmeter mit einer spektakulären Parade.
The goalkeeper saved the penalty with a spectacular dive.
'Der Hüter' (the guardian) comes directly from the verb 'hüten' (to guard / to look after), which means 'bewachen' (to guard) or 'aufpassen auf' (to watch over). A 'Hüter' is therefore literally a person who guards something.
Ein Hirte hütet seine Schafe.
A shepherd tends his sheep.
'Hüter' (guardian) is very often used in a figurative, elevated sense. People then speak of the 'Hüter des Gesetzes' (guardian of the law), 'Hüter der Verfassung' (guardian of the constitution), or 'Hüter der Tradition' (guardian of tradition).
Das Verfassungsgericht gilt als Hüter des Grundgesetzes.
The Constitutional Court is considered the guardian of the Basic Law.
The term 'Hüter' (goalkeeper) for a goalkeeper is colloquial. It is often used in sports reporting and by fans.
Der Hüter der Heimmannschaft zeigte eine starke Leistung.
The home team's goalkeeper gave a strong performance.
guard
Both words can refer to a person who guards and protects something or someone. Wächter emphasizes actively standing guard against danger or unauthorized entry, while Hüter more strongly suggests responsible preservation and care. Hüter is therefore often more appropriate for something entrusted to a person or for a tradition.
Die alte Frau verstand sich als Hüterin der Familientradition.
The old woman saw herself as the guardian of the family tradition.
Der Wächter hielt nachts vor dem Eingang Ausschau nach Eindringlingen.
The guard kept watch in front of the entrance at night for intruders.
