horn
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horn
A device on a vehicle that produces a loud acoustic signal at the push of a button in order to warn other road users.
Als der Radfahrer plötzlich auf die Straße fuhr, betätigte der LKW-Fahrer sofort die Hupe.
When the cyclist suddenly rode onto the road, the truck driver immediately sounded the horn.
The corresponding verb for 'die Hupe' (the horn) is 'hupen' (to honk). It describes the action of producing the horn signal.
In dieser Straße darf man nachts nicht hupen.
You are not allowed to honk in this street at night.
Instead of the verb 'hupen' (to honk), you can also use the paraphrases 'die Hupe betätigen' (to sound/operate the horn) or 'auf die Hupe drücken' (to press the horn). These are somewhat more formal or descriptive.
Der Fahrer drückte wütend auf die Hupe.
The driver angrily pressed the horn.
The horn is used to warn others. A typical sentence construction is: 'hupen, um zu ...' (to honk in order to ...).
Er hupte, um den Fußgänger zu warnen.
He honked to warn the pedestrian.
horn
'das Horn' and 'die Hupe' can mean the same thing in traffic: the loud warning signal of a vehicle, or the device that produces it. 'die Hupe' is the normal and precise word for this. 'das Horn' is used in this sense more colloquially or in fixed expressions, for example when someone 'aufs Horn drückt' (presses the horn). The words can be confused because 'Horn' has many other meanings, such as an animal horn or a musical instrument. If you want to talk clearly about a car, 'Hupe' is usually the safer choice. 'Horn' only fits when the traffic context is clear.
Nach der Reparatur funktionierte die Hupe des Autos wieder.
After the repair, the car's horn worked again.
Der Fahrer drückte kurz aufs Horn, weil der Radfahrer ihn nicht bemerkte.
The driver briefly honked the horn because the cyclist did not notice him.