inpatient / stationary / brick-and-mortar
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inpatient
Refers to medical treatment in which the patient stays overnight in a hospital or clinic. The opposite is 'ambulant' (outpatient).
Nach der schweren Operation musste er drei Wochen stationär behandelt werden.
After the serious operation, he had to be treated as an inpatient for three weeks.
The adjective 'stationär' (inpatient/stationary/brick-and-mortar) is related to the noun 'die Station' (station/ward). The basic idea behind all meanings is that something is or takes place at a fixed location, a 'Station'.
Für die Langzeitmessung benötigen wir ein stationäres Gerät.
For the long-term measurement, we need a stationary device.
The context reveals the meaning: if it is about a 'Krankenhaus' (hospital) or 'Behandlung' (treatment), the medical meaning is intended. With 'Gerät' (device) or 'Computer' (computer), it is about technology. With 'Handel' (retail) or 'Geschäft' (shop), retail is meant.
Der Patient bleibt zur Beobachtung stationär im Krankenhaus.
The patient is staying in the hospital as an inpatient for observation.
In a medical context, 'stationär' (as an inpatient) is often used like an adverb to describe a verb, e.g. 'stationär behandeln' (to treat as an inpatient). In the other meanings, it almost always stands as an adjective before a noun.
Der Verletzte musste stationär versorgt werden.
The injured person had to receive inpatient care.
In the medical field, the most common combinations are 'stationäre Behandlung' (inpatient treatment), 'stationäre Aufnahme' (inpatient admission), and 'stationärer Aufenthalt' (inpatient stay).
Eine stationäre Aufnahme war in ihrem Fall nicht notwendig.
In her case, inpatient admission was not necessary.
In an economic context, the word is almost always used in the fixed collocation 'der stationäre Handel' (brick-and-mortar retail) or 'der stationäre Einzelhandel' (brick-and-mortar retail).
Die Beratung im stationären Handel ist oft besser als online.
The advice in brick-and-mortar retail is often better than online.
online
'online' and 'stationär' can be opposites in retail. 'online' then means that something happens over the internet, for example a purchase in a web shop. In this context, 'stationär' means a real brick-and-mortar store at a fixed location. The words can be confused because both describe where an offer takes place. But the important point is: 'online' is digital, while 'stationär' is on-site in a store. Careful: 'stationär' also has other meanings, for example in a hospital. For the contrast with 'online', retail is meant here.
Viele Kunden kaufen Schuhe lieber stationär, weil sie sie vorher anprobieren möchten.
Many customers prefer to buy shoes in-store because they want to try them on first.
Den Termin für die Beratung kann man online buchen.
You can book the appointment for the consultation online.