01
der Malteser
Maltese dog
A small dog breed with long, white fur.
example
Mein kleiner Malteser bellt jeden an, der am Gartenzaun vorbeigeht.
My little Maltese dog barks at everyone who walks past the garden fence.
der Malteser
Maltese
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Meaning in context
Context is crucial for recognizing the meaning. If it is about animals, the dog breed is meant. In connection with accidents or first aid, the aid organization is meant. If people are talking about origin or nationality, it means a person from Malta.
EXAMPLE
Unser Nachbar hat einen süßen Malteser.
Our neighbor has a cute Maltese dog.
Typical description
When the dog breed is being referred to, it is often described with adjectives such as 'klein' (small), 'weiß' (white), or 'süß' (cute), which refer to its appearance.
EXAMPLE
Sie wünscht sich einen kleinen Malteser zum Geburtstag.
She wants a small Maltese dog for her birthday.
Use in the plural
When the aid organization as a whole is meant, the word is almost always used in the plural: 'die Malteser' (the Maltesers / the Malteser organization). A single employee is 'ein Malteser' (a Malteser member).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sturm waren die Malteser sofort im Einsatz.
After the storm, the Malteser organization was immediately in action.
Compare with
Malteser vs Samariter
Samaritan
'Malteser' and 'Samariter' can both refer to people who belong to an aid organization or help there. That is why the words can be confused in conversations about first aid, rescue services, or social support. In this context, 'Malteser' means the Malteser Hilfsdienst. 'Samariter' often means a person from a Samaritan organization, for example the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund. The important point is: the words do not simply name the same person, but different organizations or traditions of helping.
Malteser
Nach dem Unfall hat ein Malteser die verletzte Frau versorgt.
After the accident, a Malteser responder treated the injured woman.
Samariter
Ein Samariter erklärte den Kindern, wie man einen Notruf macht.
A first-aid volunteer explained to the children how to make an emergency call.
In real life
Loading video examples...