tanker
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tanker
A very large ship built specifically for transporting liquid bulk goods such as crude oil, chemicals, or liquefied gas.
Der riesige Tanker transportiert Rohöl von Saudi-Arabien nach Europa.
The enormous tanker transports crude oil from Saudi Arabia to Europe.
The word 'Tanker' (tanker) is derived from the verb 'tanken' (to refuel) and the ending '-er'. Here, the ending '-er' refers to a thing that has a particular function. So a tanker is literally a 'thing that refuels' or something that transports something in a tank.
Der Tanker hat eine Million Barrel Öl geladen.
The tanker has loaded one million barrels of oil.
In connection with the ship, typical verbs are 'beladen' (to load), 'entladen' (to unload), or 'löschen' (to discharge/unload cargo). The type of cargo is often named, e.g. 'Öltanker' (oil tanker), 'Gastanker' (gas tanker), or 'Chemikalientanker' (chemical tanker).
Es dauert mehrere Tage, einen so großen Tanker vollständig zu entladen.
It takes several days to completely unload such a large tanker.
You can tell from the context whether the ship or the aircraft is meant. Words like 'Hafen' (harbor), 'Meer' (sea), or 'Küste' (coast) point to the ship. Terms like 'Luft' (air), 'fliegen' (to fly), or 'auftanken' (to refuel) point to the aircraft.
Der Tanker wartet vor der Küste auf die Einfahrt in den Hafen.
The tanker is waiting off the coast to enter the harbor.
freighter
'Frachter' and 'Tanker' can both be large ships that transport goods. The difference lies in the type of cargo. A 'Frachter' transports goods in general, for example containers, machines, or other merchandise. A 'Tanker' is built specifically for liquids, for example oil, chemicals, or gas. Learners may confuse the words because neither one is a passenger ship. If the cargo is general, you would more likely say 'Frachter'. If it is about liquid substances, 'Tanker' is more precise.
Vor der Küste wartet ein Tanker mit Öl auf die Einfahrt in den Hafen.
Off the coast, a tanker carrying oil is waiting to enter the harbor.
Im Hafen wird ein Frachter mit Containern aus Asien entladen.
In the harbor, a freighter with containers from Asia is being unloaded.