contact lens
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contact lens
A small, thin plastic lens that is placed directly on the cornea of the eye to correct a vision problem. It is an alternative to glasses.
Ich trage lieber Kontaktlinsen als eine Brille.
I prefer wearing contact lenses to glasses.
The word is built very logically: it consists of 'Kontakt' (contact) and 'Linse' (lens). So it is a lens that is in direct contact with the eye.
Die ersten Kontaktlinsen waren noch aus Glas und sehr unbequem.
The first contact lenses were still made of glass and were very uncomfortable.
In connection with contact lenses, there are three important verbs you should know: 'Kontaktlinsen tragen' (to wear contact lenses), 'einsetzen' (to put in, into the eye), and 'herausnehmen' (to take out, out of the eye).
Ich vergesse morgens oft, meine Kontaktlinsen einzusetzen.
In the morning, I often forget to put my contact lenses in.
Although the word also exists in the singular, people usually talk about 'Kontaktlinsen' (contact lenses) in the plural, since they are normally used for both eyes.
Meine Kontaktlinsen sind mir ausgegangen, ich muss neue bestellen.
I've run out of contact lenses; I need to order new ones.
glasses
'die Brille' and 'die Kontaktlinse' both help with seeing when someone has a vision problem. The difference is their form and how they are worn. Glasses sit in front of the eyes in a frame. A contact lens sits directly on the eye and is barely visible from the outside. The words can be confused because both have the same purpose and are often alternatives to each other. If you wear something on your nose, you say 'Brille'. If the lens sits directly in the eye, you say 'Kontaktlinse'.
Vor dem Schwimmen nimmt Mehmet seine Kontaktlinsen heraus.
Before swimming, Mehmet takes out his contact lenses.
In der Pause putzt sie ihre Brille, weil die Gläser schmutzig sind.
During the break, she cleans her glasses because the lenses are dirty.