der Pol
pole
One of the two geographic endpoints of the Earth's axis, that is, the North Pole or the South Pole.
EXAMPLE
Am Nordpol ist es extrem kalt und es gibt Eisbären.
At the North Pole it is extremely cold, and there are polar bears.
der Pol
pole
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Meanings
der Pol
terminal / pole
One of the two connections of an electrical source such as a battery, referred to as the positive terminal (+) or negative terminal (-).
EXAMPLE
Verbinden Sie das rote Kabel mit dem Pluspol der Batterie.
Connect the red cable to the positive terminal of the battery.
der Pol
pole / opposite
One of two opposing points, e.g., in a magnet (magnetic pole), or figuratively for extreme opposites in opinions or characters.
EXAMPLE
In der politischen Debatte bildeten die beiden Redner die entgegengesetzten Pole.
In the political debate, the two speakers represented opposite poles.
Usage tips
Meaning in context
The exact meaning of 'Pol' (pole) is almost always made clear by the context or by a compound word. Pay attention to signal words like 'Nord-/Süd-' (north/south, geography), 'Plus-/Minus-' (positive/negative, electricity), or 'Gegensatz' (opposite, figurative).
EXAMPLE
Das Schiff ist bis zum Nordpol gefahren.
The ship sailed all the way to the North Pole.
Geographic poles
In geography, the poles are almost always referred to as 'Nordpol' (North Pole) or 'Südpol' (South Pole). To describe the location, German uses the preposition 'an' with the dative.
EXAMPLE
An den Polen der Erde ist es das ganze Jahr über sehr kalt.
At the Earth's poles, it is very cold all year round.
Figurative use
In a figurative sense, 'Pol' (pole) describes an extreme opposite. A common expression is also 'ein ruhender Pol sein' (to be a calm center/steadying presence), which describes a very calm and balancing person in a hectic environment.
EXAMPLE
In der hitzigen Diskussion vertrat er den entgegengesetzten Pol.
In the heated discussion, he represented the opposite pole.
Compare with
Pol vs Gegensatz
opposite / contrast
Both words can describe opposing opinions or qualities. „Gegensatz“ refers generally to opposition, whereas „Pol“ highlights one of two usually extreme sides of a spectrum. Use „Gegensatz“ for the contrast and „Pol“ when two opposing endpoints are meant.
Pol
Die beiden Meinungen bilden die entgegengesetzten Pole der Debatte.
The two opinions represent the opposing poles of the debate.
Gegensatz
Zwischen den beiden Meinungen besteht ein deutlicher Gegensatz.
There is a clear contrast between the two opinions.
In real life
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