siren
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siren
A device that produces a very loud, usually wailing sound to warn of danger or to draw attention to an emergency vehicle (e.g., police, fire department, ambulance).
Jeden ersten Samstag im Monat wird die Sirene zur Probe ausgelöst.
Every first Saturday of the month, the siren is triggered for a test.
This word has two very different meanings, but they are always clear from context. If people are talking about mythology, sailors, and singing, the mythical creature is meant. If it is about alarms, danger, or emergency vehicles, the warning device is meant.
Die alten Griechen erzählten sich Geschichten über den gefährlichen Gesang der Sirenen.
The ancient Greeks told stories about the dangerous song of the sirens.
To describe the sound of a siren, the verbs 'heulen' (to wail) or 'ertönen' (to sound) are often used. When the alarm starts, people also say colloquially 'die Sirene geht los' (the siren goes off).
Mitten in der Nacht begann eine Sirene zu heulen.
In the middle of the night, a siren began to wail.
In a mythological context, the combination 'der Gesang der Sirenen' (the song of the sirens) is a very fixed expression. It describes the enchanting and at the same time dangerous call of the mythical creatures.
Der Held der Sage konnte dem Gesang der Sirenen widerstehen.
The hero of the legend was able to resist the song of the sirens.
alarm
'der Alarm' and 'die Sirene' both have to do with warning and danger. 'Die Sirene', however, is the device or the loud wailing sound that you hear, for example, from the fire department, police, or a warning system. 'Der Alarm' is the warning signal itself, or also the situation in which people must react immediately because of a danger. Learners may confuse the words because an alarm is often triggered or made audible by a siren. Practically speaking: the siren makes the sound; the alarm warns of the danger.
Am Morgen hörte man die Sirene der Feuerwehr in der ganzen Straße.
In the morning, the fire department's siren could be heard throughout the whole street.
Nach dem Rauch im Keller wurde sofort Alarm ausgelöst.
After there was smoke in the basement, the alarm was triggered immediately.