cable car
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cable car
A means of transport in which cabins, gondolas, or chairs are moved while suspended from a cable, used to transport people or goods, often in mountainous terrain.
Wir nahmen die Seilbahn, um auf den Gipfel des Berges zu gelangen und die Aussicht zu genießen.
We took the cable car to get to the top of the mountain and enjoy the view.
The word is built simply: it consists of 'das Seil' (the rope/cable) and 'die Bahn' (the railway/line). So it is literally a 'Bahn' that travels on a cable.
Das dicke Stahlseil der Seilbahn wird regelmäßig überprüft.
The thick steel cable of the cable car is inspected regularly.
To express that you use a cable car, German typically uses the verbs 'nehmen' (to take) or 'fahren' (to go/ride). The appropriate preposition is 'mit' (with/by).
Wir sind mit der Seilbahn auf den Berg gefahren.
We went up the mountain by cable car.
Cable cars are almost always associated with mountains, ski resorts, and tourism. People use them to get to a summit or to have a beautiful view.
Vom Gipfel, den man nur mit der Seilbahn erreicht, hat man einen tollen Blick.
From the summit, which can only be reached by cable car, you have a great view.
lift
'der Lift' and 'die Seilbahn' can both transport people up or down. The main difference is the location and the type of system. In a building, 'Lift' means a lift / elevator between floors. In a ski area, 'Lift' can also be a system that takes winter sports enthusiasts up the mountain. 'Seilbahn', on the other hand, means a means of transport on a cable, often with gondolas or chairs in the mountains. The words can be confusing because a 'Sessellift' (chairlift) can also be a kind of 'Seilbahn' (cable car). As a practical rule: in a building, you say 'Lift' or 'Aufzug'; in the mountains, you are more likely to say 'Seilbahn' when cabins or chairs move along a cable.
Im Sommer bringt die Seilbahn viele Wanderer bequem auf den Berg.
In summer, the cable car takes many hikers comfortably up the mountain.
Wegen ihres verletzten Knies nimmt Jonas in der Schule den Lift.
Because of his injured knee, Jonas takes the lift at school.