01
der Tänzer
dancer
A person who dances professionally or as a hobby.
example
Er ist ein professioneller Tänzer beim Staatsballett.
He is a professional dancer with the state ballet.
der Tänzer
dancer
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Tänzer' (dancer) is derived directly from the verb 'tanzen' (to dance). The ending '-er' refers to a male person who performs this activity, a very common pattern in German.
EXAMPLE
Wer gut tanzen kann, ist nicht automatisch ein professioneller Tänzer.
Someone who can dance well is not automatically a professional dancer.
Typical collocations
In a professional context, 'Tänzer' (dancer) is often described more specifically, for example as 'Balletttänzer' (ballet dancer), 'Solotänzer' (solo dancer), or 'moderner Tänzer' (modern dancer).
EXAMPLE
Als Solotänzer steht er jeden Abend im Mittelpunkt.
As a solo dancer, he is the center of attention every evening.
Context clue: metaphor
The figurative meaning is often recognized from the context, usually in sports. A person is called a 'Tänzer' (dancer) because of their elegant and light movements.
EXAMPLE
Der Eiskunstläufer war ein eleganter Tänzer auf dem Eis.
The figure skater was an elegant dancer on the ice.
Compare with
Tänzer vs Tänzerin
dancer
'der Tänzer' and 'die Tänzerin' both refer to a person who dances. The difference is mainly gender and sometimes context. 'Tänzer' is used for a man, or generally for a person described as male, who dances professionally or as a hobby. 'Tänzerin' is used for a woman; this can be a professional artist or simply a woman who is dancing at that moment. Learners may confuse the words because they look almost the same and differ only in the ending. Pay attention to the person: for a woman, 'Tänzerin' is natural; for a man, 'Tänzer' is natural.
Tänzer
Du bist ein guter Tänzer, weil du den Rhythmus sofort findest.
You are a good dancer because you find the rhythm right away.
Tänzerin
Am Abend stand eine Tänzerin allein auf der Bühne und begann langsam zu tanzen.
In the evening, a dancer stood alone on the stage and slowly began to dance.
In real life
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