der Tresen
bar
A long, high counter in a bar, café, or pub where drinks and food are ordered and served.
EXAMPLE
Er lehnte am Tresen und wartete auf sein Bier.
He leaned against the bar and waited for his beer.
der Tresen
counter / bar
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Meanings
der Tresen
counter
A counter or desk in a shop, bank, hotel, or medical practice where customers are served or received.
EXAMPLE
Bitte holen Sie Ihre Unterlagen am Tresen der Anmeldung ab.
Please pick up your documents at the registration counter.
Usage tips
Important prepositions
The position in relation to the counter is important. 'Am Tresen' (at the counter/bar) describes the position of the guest or customer in front of it. 'Hinter dem Tresen' (behind the counter/bar) describes the position of the staff serving people.
EXAMPLE
Zwei Gäste saßen am Tresen und unterhielten sich.
Two guests were sitting at the bar and chatting.
Word structure
'Tresen' (counter/bar) is often used as the base word in compounds to describe the function more precisely. Typical examples are 'Bartresen' (bar counter), 'Empfangstresen' (reception counter), or 'Verkaufstresen' (sales counter).
EXAMPLE
Melden Sie sich bitte am Empfangstresen an.
Please check in at the reception counter.
Typical collocations
In a bar or pub, 'Tresen' (bar/counter) is often combined with verbs like 'sitzen' (to sit), 'stehen' (to stand), 'lehnen' (to lean), or 'bestellen' (to order).
EXAMPLE
Komm, wir setzen uns direkt an den Tresen!
Come on, let's sit right at the bar!
Compare with
Tresen vs Schalter
switch / counter
Schalter and Tresen can both refer to a place where customers are served. Schalter emphasizes the institutional service point or the associated window. Tresen more strongly refers to the specific, usually tall piece of furniture where customers and employees stand opposite each other.
Tresen
Am hohen Tresen der Bank unterschreibt Jana das Formular.
Jana signs the form at the bank's tall counter.
Schalter
Am Schalter der Bank lässt sich Jana zu ihrem Konto beraten.
At the bank counter, Jana gets advice about her account.
In real life
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