der Support
support
The technical support or customer service that a company offers for its products or services.
EXAMPLE
Mein Drucker funktioniert nicht, ich muss den Support kontaktieren.
My printer isn't working; I need to contact support.
der Support
support
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Meanings
der Support
support
General support, help, or backing for a person, an idea, or a project.
EXAMPLE
Ohne den Support ihrer Familie hätte sie das Projekt nicht geschafft.
Without the support of her family, she would not have managed the project.
Usage tips
English loanword
'Support' is a word borrowed from English that is very common in German. It is used especially in technical and business contexts, but also in personal situations.
EXAMPLE
Der Support hat mir bei meinem Computerproblem schnell geholfen.
Support quickly helped me with my computer problem.
Context clues
You can recognize the two meanings from context. If it is about products, technology, or a company, it means customer service. If it is about people, friends, or family, it means personal help.
EXAMPLE
Der technische Support ist rund um die Uhr erreichbar.
Technical support is available around the clock.
Typical collocations
When referring to technical help, 'Support' is often combined with verbs such as 'kontaktieren' (to contact), 'anrufen' (to call), or 'erreichen' (to reach). People also speak of 'technischer Support' (technical support) or 'Kunden-Support' (customer support).
EXAMPLE
Bei Problemen mit der Software sollten Sie den Support kontaktieren.
If you have problems with the software, you should contact support.
Personal support
In the meaning of 'persönliche Hilfe' (personal help), 'Support' is often combined with adjectives such as 'moralisch' (moral) or 'finanziell' (financial). You can also say 'Support von jemandem bekommen' (to get support from someone).
EXAMPLE
Ohne den finanziellen Support ihrer Eltern hätte sie nicht studieren können.
Without the financial support of her parents, she would not have been able to study.
Compare with
Support vs Hilfe
help
Hilfe and Support can both refer to assistance with a specific problem. Hilfe often means immediate help, while Support more often refers to an organized or ongoing service provided by a company. Use Hilfe generally and Support especially for technical assistance or customer service.
Support
Der Support des Herstellers hilft mir seit Tagen bei dem Druckerproblem.
The manufacturer's support team has been helping me with the printer problem for days.
Hilfe
Danke für deine Hilfe, denn du hast das Problem mit meinem Drucker sofort gelöst.
Thanks for your help—you solved the problem with my printer right away.
In real life
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