01
das Terminal
terminal
A building or area at an airport, train station, or port where passengers arrive, depart, and transfer.
example
Unser Flug geht von Terminal 2, Gate B45.
Our flight leaves from Terminal 2, Gate B45.
das Terminal
terminal
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context is everything
You can almost always recognize the meaning of 'Terminal' (terminal) from context. Words like 'Flug' (flight) or 'Gate' (gate) point to a transport building, 'Computer' (computer) or 'Befehl' (command) to the IT meaning, and 'Hafen' (port) or 'Container' (container) to a logistics facility.
EXAMPLE
Wir treffen uns am Terminal 1 des Flughafens.
We'll meet at Terminal 1 of the airport.
Correct preposition
In the context of airports or train stations, you use 'am Terminal' (at the terminal) for location (dative) and 'zum Terminal' (to the terminal) or 'ins Terminal' (into the terminal) for movement toward it (accusative).
EXAMPLE
Die Passkontrolle befindet sich am Terminal C.
Passport control is located at Terminal C.
IT terminology
In the meaning of an input and output device, 'Terminal' (terminal) is a technical term from computer science. In everyday life, you will rarely hear this meaning unless you work in the IT industry.
EXAMPLE
Der Programmierer öffnete ein neues Terminal, um das Skript zu starten.
The programmer opened a new terminal to start the script.
Typical collocations
In connection with logistics, 'Terminal' (terminal) is often combined with the type of goods handled there. Typical examples are 'Containerterminal' (container terminal), 'Ölterminal' (oil terminal), or 'Flüssiggas-Terminal' (liquefied natural gas terminal).
EXAMPLE
Der Rotterdamer Hafen hat eines der größten Ölterminals in Europa.
The Port of Rotterdam has one of the largest oil terminals in Europe.
Compare with
Terminal vs Konsole
console
'Terminal' and 'Konsole' can both have to do with entering commands or data in computing. 'Terminal' often means a device or program through which you work with a computer system. In this area, 'Konsole' especially means the text-based interface where you type commands. The words are easy to confuse because in everyday computer use they are sometimes used in very similar ways. Outside computing, however, they are clearly different: a 'Terminal' can also be an area at an airport, while a 'Konsole' can also be a game console or a control panel.
Terminal
Der Techniker meldet sich am Terminal an und prüft die Daten des Servers.
The technician logs in at the terminal and checks the server data.
Konsole
In der Konsole gibt Lisa einen Befehl ein, um das Programm zu starten.
In the console, Lisa enters a command to start the program.
In real life
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