01
die Patrone
cartridge
A small container with ink for a fountain pen or a printer.
example
Der Drucker funktioniert nicht, weil die schwarze Patrone leer ist.
The printer isn't working because the black cartridge is empty.
die Patrone
cartridge
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Context clue
To know which kind of 'Patrone' (cartridge) is meant, context is crucial. Words like 'Drucker' (printer), 'Füller' (fountain pen), or 'Tinte' (ink) point to a container for liquid. Words like 'Waffe' (weapon), 'Gewehr' (rifle), or 'Polizei' (police) refer to ammunition.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss eine neue Farbpatrone für den Drucker kaufen.
I need to buy a new color cartridge for the printer.
Typical collocations
In connection with printers or fountain pens, a 'Patrone' (cartridge) is typically 'gewechselt' (changed), 'eingesetzt' (inserted), or 'ausgetauscht' (replaced). People also often speak of an 'leere' (empty) or 'volle' (full) cartridge.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir zeigen, wie man die Druckerpatrone wechselt?
Can you show me how to change the printer cartridge?
Typical collocations
When it comes to ammunition, a 'Patrone' (cartridge) is 'geladen' (loaded) into a weapon. You can also find 'leere Patronen' (empty cartridges), which are then called 'Patronenhülsen' (cartridge cases).
EXAMPLE
Die Soldaten hatten nur noch wenige Patronen übrig.
The soldiers had only a few cartridges left.
Compare with
Patrone vs Kugel
bullet / scoop / sphere
'die Kugel' and 'die Patrone' both belong to the topic of firearms, but they do not mean the same thing. 'Kugel' means the bullet, the projectile that flies after the shot. 'Patrone' means the whole cartridge before the shot: it contains, among other things, the bullet and the propellant charge. The words can easily be confused because in everyday language people sometimes talk about ammunition imprecisely. To be precise: the cartridge is loaded into the weapon, and the bullet leaves the weapon when the shot is fired.
Patrone
Der Jäger legte die Patrone vorsichtig in die Waffe.
The hunter carefully placed the cartridge in the weapon.
Kugel
Nach dem Schuss blieb die Kugel im Baum stecken.
After the shot, the bullet got stuck in the tree.
In real life
Loading video examples...