life partner
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life partner
A person with whom one has a stable, long-term, marriage-like relationship, regardless of gender or marital status.
Sie zog für ihren neuen Job in eine andere Stadt, aber ihr Lebenspartner wird bald nachkommen.
She moved to another city for her new job, but her life partner will join her soon.
registered partner
In the legal sense, the term for a person in a registered civil partnership, a form of legal union for same-sex couples that existed in Germany before the introduction of marriage for all.
Sie waren offiziell als Lebenspartner eingetragen, bevor sie 2018 heirateten.
They were officially registered as partners before they got married in 2018.
The word is made up of 'das Leben' (life) and 'der Partner' (partner), connected by a linking -s. So it literally refers to a partner for life.
Er ist nicht nur mein Mann, er ist mein Lebenspartner und bester Freund.
He is not just my husband; he is my life partner and best friend.
The meaning depends strongly on the context. In everyday conversations, it usually means a partner for life. In legal or historical discussions about German law, it can refer to the now-defunct 'eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft' (registered civil partnership).
Ich fahre mit meinem Lebenspartner in den Urlaub.
I am going on vacation with my life partner.
'Lebenspartner' (life partner) is a neutral and often somewhat more formal term. It emphasizes the seriousness and permanence of a relationship without naming marital status (married or not), and it is inclusive of all genders and couple constellations.
Auf dem Formular musste sie den Namen ihres Lebenspartners angeben.
On the form, she had to provide the name of her life partner.
This specific meaning is a legal term from Germany. It referred to a person in an 'eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft' (registered civil partnership), which provided legal protection for same-sex couples before the introduction of 'Ehe für alle' (marriage for all) in 2017.
Mein Onkel und sein Lebenspartner waren eines der ersten Paare, die ihre Partnerschaft eintragen ließen.
My uncle and his registered partner were one of the first couples to have their partnership registered.
partner
Partner is the general term for a person in a committed romantic relationship or marriage. Lebenspartner places more emphasis on the relationship being long-term and marriage-like. Use Partner as a neutral term, and Lebenspartner when you want to emphasize this long-term character.
Nach zwanzig gemeinsamen Jahren bezeichnet Mara Tom als ihren Lebenspartner.
After twenty years together, Mara refers to Tom as her life partner.
Nach einigen Monaten stellt Mara Tom als ihren Partner vor.
After a few months, Mara introduces Tom as her partner.
