black market
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black market
An illegal market where goods are traded because they are scarce, prohibited, or to avoid taxes and customs duties.
Nach dem Krieg blühte der Schwarzmarkt für Lebensmittel und Zigaretten.
After the war, the black market for food and cigarettes flourished.
The word is made up of 'schwarz' (black) and 'Markt' (market). The color 'schwarz' is used here metaphorically for 'illegal' or 'unofficial,' similar to 'Schwarzarbeit' (undeclared work) or 'schwarzfahren' (to ride without a ticket).
Wegen der hohen Steuern gibt es einen Schwarzmarkt für importierte Elektronik.
Because of the high taxes, there is a black market for imported electronics.
To express that something is traded on this illegal market, German uses the preposition 'auf' with the dative: 'auf dem Schwarzmarkt' (on the black market).
Manche Ersatzteile für alte Autos bekommt man nur noch auf dem Schwarzmarkt.
Some spare parts for old cars can now only be found on the black market.
Common verbs used with 'Schwarzmarkt' (black market) are 'blühen' (to flourish), 'entstehen' (to develop/emerge), as well as 'etwas kaufen/verkaufen/handeln' (to buy/sell/trade something).
In Krisenzeiten entsteht oft ein Schwarzmarkt für Güter des täglichen Bedarfs.
In times of crisis, a black market for everyday goods often develops.
smuggling
'der Schwarzmarkt' and 'der Schmuggel' both have to do with illegal trade. But they do not mean the same thing. The black market is the place or area where prohibited or scarce goods are sold illegally. 'Schmuggel' is the act of illegally bringing goods, money, or people across a border. Smuggled goods can later be sold on the black market. The words are easy to confuse because they often appear in the same story, but the black market is the market, while smuggling is the transport across the border.
In der Krise wurden Medikamente auf dem Schwarzmarkt sehr teuer verkauft.
During the crisis, medicines were sold at very high prices on the black market.
Am Flughafen kontrolliert der Zoll streng wegen des Schmuggels von teuren Uhren.
At the airport, customs carries out strict checks because of the smuggling of expensive watches.