seafarer
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seafarer
A person who goes to sea professionally or out of passion; a sailor, captain, or explorer at sea.
Historische Seefahrer wie Kolumbus oder Magellan entdeckten neue Seewege und Kontinente.
Historical seafarers like Columbus or Magellan discovered new sea routes and continents.
'Seefahrer' (seafarer) is a compound word made up of 'See' (sea) and 'Fahrer' (driver/traveler). So it literally describes a person who 'travels' on the sea.
Schon als Kind träumte er davon, ein großer Seefahrer zu werden.
Even as a child, he dreamed of becoming a great seafarer.
The noun 'der Seefahrer' (the seafarer) is directly derived from the fixed expression 'zur See fahren' (to go to sea). This expression means to begin a journey at sea or to work on ships as a profession.
Nach seiner Ausbildung ist er viele Jahre zur See gefahren.
After his training, he went to sea for many years.
The word 'Seefahrer' (seafarer) often has a historical or adventurous connotation. It is frequently used for explorers and pioneers of seafaring and often sounds somewhat more romantic than modern job titles.
Die Geschichten über die alten Seefahrer faszinierten die Kinder.
The stories about the old seafarers fascinated the children.
captain
'der Kapitän' and 'der Seefahrer' both have to do with life or work at sea. The captain is the person who leads a ship and has responsibility. The seafarer is more general: it can be someone who goes to sea professionally or out of passion, for example a sailor, an explorer, or also a captain. The words can be confused because a captain can also be a seafarer. But not every seafarer is a captain. 'Kapitän' emphasizes leadership, while 'Seefahrer' emphasizes traveling and living at sea.
Der alte Seefahrer erzählte den Kindern von langen Reisen über den Atlantik.
The old seafarer told the children about long voyages across the Atlantic.
Bei starkem Wind blieb der Kapitän die ganze Nacht auf der Brücke.
In strong winds, the captain stayed on the bridge all night.