rearview mirror
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rearview mirror
A mirror in a vehicle that allows the driver to see the traffic and surroundings behind them.
Vor dem Überholen warf er einen schnellen Blick in den Rückspiegel.
Before overtaking, he cast a quick glance in the rearview mirror.
The word is made up of 'Rück-' (a short form of 'zurück', meaning back) and 'Spiegel' (mirror). So it is literally a mirror for looking backward.
Ein kurzer Blick in den Rückspiegel bestätigte, dass kein Auto hinter ihm war.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror confirmed that there was no car behind him.
The most common construction is 'in den Rückspiegel schauen' (to look in the rearview mirror) or 'in den Rückspiegel blicken' (to look/glance in the rearview mirror). Here, the preposition 'in' is used with the accusative.
Man sollte regelmäßig in den Rückspiegel schauen, um den Verkehr im Auge zu behalten.
You should regularly look in the rearview mirror to keep an eye on the traffic.
'Rückspiegel' (rearview mirror) is also used metaphorically to look back at the past. The phrase 'im Rückspiegel der Geschichte' (in the rearview mirror of history) means viewing an event from a later perspective.
Im Rückspiegel betrachtet, war seine Entscheidung damals richtig.
Looking back, his decision at the time was right.
side mirror
Rückspiegel and Außenspiegel allow the driver to see the traffic behind the vehicle. Rückspiegel refers to this function and often means the mirror inside the vehicle. Außenspiegel is more specific: it refers to a mirror mounted on the outside, at the side of the vehicle, which also shows the area beside it.
Sie blickt in den Rückspiegel über der Mitte der Windschutzscheibe.
She looks in the rearview mirror above the center of the windshield.
Sie blickt in den Außenspiegel an der linken Fahrzeugtür.
She looks in the side mirror on the left-hand door.
