to dub / synchronize
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to dub
To replace the soundtrack of a film or series with a new one in another language so that the actors' lip movements match the new text.
In Deutschland werden die meisten ausländischen Kinofilme auf Deutsch synchronisiert.
In Germany, most foreign movies are dubbed into German.
The word comes from Greek: 'syn' means 'together' and 'chronos' means 'time'. So the basic idea is always to bring things together in time or to align them.
Die Tänzer müssen ihre Schritte exakt synchronisieren.
The dancers have to synchronize their steps exactly.
Like many verbs that end in '-ieren', 'synchronisieren' (to synchronize / to dub) is regular and forms the past participle without 'ge-'. So it is 'synchronisiert', not 'gesynchronisiert'.
Hast du deine Termine schon mit dem Online-Kalender synchronisiert?
Have you already synchronized your appointments with the online calendar?
The context reveals the meaning: if it is about 'Filme' (films) or 'Serien' (series), it means replacing the soundtrack. With 'Daten' (data), 'Handy' (mobile phone), or 'Kalender' (calendar), it means technical synchronization. With 'Bewegungen' (movements) or 'Uhren' (clocks), it means coordination in time.
Der neue Hollywood-Film wird gerade für den deutschen Markt synchronisiert.
The new Hollywood film is currently being dubbed for the German market.
When data is being synchronized, the preposition 'mit' (with) is often used to name the second device or system. The structure is: etwas (accusative) mit etwas (dative) synchronisieren.
Ich synchronisiere mein Tablet jede Woche mit meinem Laptop.
I synchronize my tablet with my laptop every week.
to transmit / transfer
'übertragen' and 'synchronisieren' can both have to do with data or technical devices. 'übertragen' means that data, signals, or information are sent from one place or device to another. 'synchronisieren' means that several devices or systems then have the same up-to-date status, or that they are precisely coordinated in time. The words can be confused because synchronizing often also involves transmitting data. The difference is: 'übertragen' emphasizes transport, while 'synchronisieren' emphasizes matching or coordination.
Zu Hause synchronisiere ich meinen Kalender mit dem Tablet.
At home, I synchronize my calendar with the tablet.
Das Handy überträgt die Fotos automatisch auf den Laptop.
The phone automatically transfers the photos to the laptop.