drinker
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drinker
A person who consumes alcohol regularly and often excessively; an alcoholic.
Er war in der ganzen Stadt als Trinker bekannt, bevor er eine Therapie begann.
He was known throughout the city as a drinker before he began therapy.
drinker
A person who is currently drinking something or has a preference for a particular drink. This meaning is neutral and often depends on context.
Der Kaffeetrinker nahm einen großen Schluck, während der Teetrinker seine Tasse abstellte.
The coffee drinker took a big sip while the tea drinker set down his cup.
The word 'Trinker' (drinker) is derived directly from the verb 'trinken' (to drink). The ending '-er' is often used in German to refer to a male person who performs a particular activity.
Er ist ein leidenschaftlicher Kaffeetrinker und braucht morgens drei Tassen.
He is a passionate coffee drinker and needs three cups in the morning.
When 'der Trinker' (the drinker) is used on its own, it usually means 'Alkoholiker' (alcoholic) and has a strongly negative meaning. To express the neutral meaning 'person who drinks something', the drink is almost always mentioned.
Man sagte ihm nach, er sei ein Trinker.
People said he was a drinker.
The neutral meaning is most often expressed through compound nouns. Examples are 'der Kaffeetrinker' (coffee drinker), 'der Teetrinker' (tea drinker), 'der Weintrinker' (wine drinker), or 'der Biertrinker' (beer drinker).
Als passionierter Weintrinker kennt er sich gut mit verschiedenen Rebsorten aus.
As a passionate wine drinker, he knows a lot about different grape varieties.
alcoholic
Alkoholiker explicitly refers to a person who is physically or psychologically dependent on alcohol. Trinker can also refer to someone with problematic and excessive alcohol consumption, but it does not clearly establish dependence in every context.
Er trinkt regelmäßig zu viel und gilt als Trinker, doch eine Abhängigkeit wurde nicht festgestellt.
He regularly drinks too much and is considered a heavy drinker, but no dependence has been diagnosed.
Wegen seiner festgestellten Abhängigkeit wird der Patient als Alkoholiker behandelt.
Because his dependence has been diagnosed, the patient is being treated as an alcoholic.
