teammate
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teammate
A male person who is a member of the same team, whether in sports, at work, or in another project. The feminine form is 'die Teamkollegin' (female teammate).
Er hat den entscheidenden Pass von seinem Teamkollegen erhalten.
He received the decisive pass from his teammate.
The word is made up of 'Team' (team) and 'Kollege' (colleague). So it literally describes a colleague with whom you are on a team.
Mein Teamkollege und ich arbeiten eng an diesem Projekt zusammen.
My teammate and I are working closely together on this project.
'Teamkollege' (teammate) is often used with verbs that express cooperation. Typical examples are 'mit jemandem zusammenarbeiten' (to work together with someone), 'jemanden unterstützen' (to support someone), or 'sich auf jemanden verlassen' (to rely on someone).
Man muss sich auf seine Teamkollegen verlassen können.
You have to be able to rely on your teammates.
This word is used very frequently in professional settings, for example in project teams, and in sports to emphasize belonging to a particular group.
Im Fußball ist das Zusammenspiel mit den Teamkollegen entscheidend.
In soccer, teamwork with your teammates is crucial.
colleague
Both words can refer to a man from the same work environment. Kollege generally refers to someone you work with, while Teamkollege explicitly means a member of the same team. Use “Kollege” when the shared work environment is enough, and “Teamkollege” when team membership is important.
Er ist mein Teamkollege und arbeitet mit mir an diesem Projekt.
He is my teammate and is working with me on this project.
Er ist mein Kollege in der Firma, arbeitet aber in einer anderen Abteilung.
He is my colleague at the company, but he works in a different department.
