mercenary
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mercenary
A soldier who is hired for payment to fight in a foreign army or for a foreign power. His main motive is financial gain, not loyalty to a state or an ideology.
Die private Militärfirma rekrutierte erfahrene Söldner für den Einsatz im Krisengebiet.
The private military company recruited experienced mercenaries for deployment in the crisis zone.
The word 'Söldner' (mercenary) is derived from the old word 'der Sold', which means the pay for a soldier. A 'Söldner' is therefore someone who fights for pay.
Historisch gesehen erhielten Söldner ihren Sold oft direkt nach einem Kampf.
Historically, mercenaries often received their pay directly after a battle.
'Der Söldner' belongs to the N-declension. This means that the word takes an -n ending in all cases except the nominative singular. This is a common mistake.
Der König sprach mit dem Söldner.
The king spoke with the mercenary.
In connection with 'Söldner' (mercenary), verbs that describe hiring or deployment are often used. Typical examples are: 'Söldner anheuern' (to hire mercenaries), 'Söldner rekrutieren' (to recruit mercenaries), or 'als Söldner dienen' (to serve as a mercenary).
Die Armee heuerte Söldner aus verschiedenen Ländern an.
The army hired mercenaries from various countries.
soldier
'Soldat' and 'Söldner' can both refer to people who fight in a military context. 'Soldat' is the general term for someone who belongs to a country's armed forces. 'Söldner' is more specific: a mercenary fights for payment for a foreign army or a foreign power. The focus is often on money, not loyalty to a state. The words are easy to confuse because a 'Söldner' also fights militarily. If official membership in an army is important, use 'Soldat'. If paid recruitment for foreign interests is important, use 'Söldner'.
Der Söldner wurde von einer fremden Gruppe bezahlt.
The mercenary was paid by a foreign group.
Im Zug sitzt ein Soldat in Uniform neben einer älteren Frau.
A soldier in uniform is sitting on the train next to an older woman.