funnel / crater
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funnel
A cone-shaped tool with a narrow opening at the bottom, used to pour liquids or powders into a container with a small opening.
Benutz einen Trichter, damit du den Saft nicht in der ganzen Küche verschüttest.
Use a funnel so you don't spill the juice all over the kitchen.
crater
A funnel-shaped depression in the ground, often caused by an explosion, such as a bomb or shell.
Nach dem Einschlag der Rakete blieb ein tiefer Trichter im Feld zurück.
After the rocket hit, a deep crater was left in the field.
bottleneck
A narrow point where something collects or backs up, for example in traffic or in a crowd of people.
Vor der Baustelle bildet sich auf der Autobahn immer ein Trichter, der zu langem Stau führt.
Before the construction site, a bottleneck always forms on the highway, leading to a long traffic jam.
You can recognize the meaning of 'Trichter' from the context. If it is about liquids and containers, it means the tool. With explosions or the ground, it means a crater. In connection with traffic or crowds, it means a bottleneck.
Ich brauche einen Trichter, um das Öl in die kleine Flasche zu füllen.
I need a funnel to pour the oil into the small bottle.
When 'Trichter' (funnel) means the tool, it is often used with verbs such as 'einfüllen' (to fill/pour in), 'gießen' (to pour), or 'benutzen' (to use), and with the preposition 'durch' (through).
Gieß die Suppe langsam durch den Trichter in die Thermoskanne.
Pour the soup slowly through the funnel into the thermos.
In the meaning 'Engstelle' (bottleneck), 'Trichter' is used metaphorically. It describes a situation in which something wide, such as a multi-lane road, is concentrated into a narrow point. The phrase 'einen Trichter bilden' (to form a bottleneck) is commonly used.
Wegen der Demonstration bildet sich am Eingang zum Park ein Trichter.
Because of the demonstration, a bottleneck is forming at the entrance to the park.
crater
After a large explosion, Krater and Trichter can refer to the same depression in the ground. Krater generally names the hole created by the event; Trichter particularly emphasizes its cone-shaped form, which becomes narrower toward the bottom.
Nach der Explosion blieb ein deutlich kegelförmiger Trichter im Boden zurück.
A distinctly cone-shaped crater remained in the ground after the explosion.
Nach der Explosion blieb ein großer Krater im Boden zurück.
A large crater remained in the ground after the explosion.
