counter / bar
Loading your saved state.
bar
A long, high counter in a bar, café, or restaurant where drinks are served or guests are attended to.
Er bestellte sich an der Theke ein Bier und suchte dann einen freien Tisch.
He ordered a beer at the bar and then looked for a free table.
With 'Theke' (counter/bar), the preposition 'an' is almost always used. For a position, use the dative ('an der Theke'); for movement toward it, use the accusative ('an die Theke').
Er saß den ganzen Abend allein an der Theke.
He sat alone at the bar all evening.
The context makes clear what kind of 'Theke' (counter/bar) is meant. In a bar or restaurant, it is the counter for drinks. In a shop, hotel, or medical practice, it is the sales or reception counter.
In der Metzgerei bat ich die Dame hinter der Theke um 200 Gramm Schinken.
At the butcher's, I asked the woman behind the counter for 200 grams of ham.
In a bar or café, you can 'an der Theke sitzen/stehen' (sit/stand at the bar), 'etwas an der Theke bestellen' (order something at the bar), or observe how the bartender 'hinter der Theke arbeitet' (works behind the bar).
Ich bestelle die Getränke direkt an der Theke.
I'll order the drinks directly at the bar.
In the context of shops, 'Theke' (counter) is often part of compound words that describe the purpose more precisely, e.g. 'Käsetheke' (cheese counter), 'Fleischtheke' (meat counter), 'Fischtheke' (fish counter), or 'Verkaufstheke' (sales counter).
An der Käsetheke gibt es heute ein Sonderangebot.
There is a special offer at the cheese counter today.
table
'der Tisch' and 'die Theke' both have a flat surface where you can put something. 'Tisch' is a normal piece of furniture for eating, working, or placing things on. 'Theke' means a long, often higher area where guests or customers are served, for example in a bar, bakery, or medical practice. The words can be confused because a counter looks like a high table. When people sit at it or eat at it, you usually say 'Tisch'. When people order, pay, or are served there, 'Theke' is more precise.
In der Bäckerei wartet die Kundin an der Theke auf ihr Brot.
In the bakery, the customer waits at the counter for her bread.
Beim Termin liegt der Vertrag schon auf dem Tisch.
At the appointment, the contract is already on the table.