deposit / collateral
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deposit
An amount of money that you pay in addition when buying bottles or cans and get back when you return them.
Vergiss nicht, die leeren Flaschen mitzunehmen, damit wir das Pfand zurückbekommen.
Don't forget to take the empty bottles with you so we can get the deposit back.
collateral
A valuable object that is deposited as security for a loan or a debt.
Er musste seine Uhr als Pfand im Leihhaus lassen, um schnell an Geld zu kommen.
He had to leave his watch as collateral at the pawnshop in order to get money quickly.
The meaning is easy to recognize from the context. If it is about bottles, cans, and supermarkets, it refers to the amount of money. If it is about loans, debts, or a pawnshop, it refers to security.
Bring bitte die leeren Flaschen weg, wir brauchen das Pfand.
Please take the empty bottles away; we need the deposit.
The deposit system for beverage packaging is an important part of everyday life and recycling culture in Germany. Almost all supermarkets have machines for returns.
Touristen sind oft überrascht, dass man für Dosen Pfand bezahlen muss.
Tourists are often surprised that you have to pay a deposit for cans.
Typical expressions are 'Pfand bezahlen' (to pay a deposit), 'Pfand zurückbekommen' (to get the deposit back), or 'Pfand auf eine Flasche' (deposit on a bottle). It is also often used in compounds like 'Flaschenpfand' (bottle deposit) or 'Dosenpfand' (can deposit).
Auf diese Saftflasche gibt es 25 Cent Pfand.
There is a 25-cent deposit on this juice bottle.
In the financial meaning, typical verbs are 'als Pfand hinterlegen' (to put up as collateral), 'ein Pfand geben' (to give collateral), or 'ein Pfand auslösen' (to redeem a pawned item, i.e. buy it back).
Sie konnte ihre Kette wieder aus dem Leihhaus auslösen.
She was able to redeem her necklace from the pawnshop.
safety / certainty / security
Sicherheit is the more general term for money or an item of value deposited to secure a debt. Pfand specifically refers to a valuable item deposited for this purpose. Pfand is therefore more precise when referring to a specific item.
Für das Darlehen hinterlegt der Kunde seine wertvolle Uhr als Pfand.
The customer deposits his valuable watch as collateral for the loan.
Für das Darlehen verlangt die Bank eine Sicherheit in Form von Geld oder einem Wertgegenstand.
For the loan, the bank requires security in the form of money or an item of value.
