käufer

Käufer (plural Käufer) is a German noun meaning "buyer" or "purchaser." It refers to a person who buys goods or services in a transaction. The term is used in everyday commerce as well as in legal and economic contexts. The opposite term is Verkäufer (seller).

In contract law, a Kaufvertrag binds the Käufer to pay the price and take delivery of the goods, while the seller undertakes to transfer ownership and provide the goods as agreed. In Germany, the transfer of ownership and risk generally occurs upon delivery and payment, unless the parties arrange otherwise. For merchants, special rules apply under the Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB), including the obligation to inspect goods and promptly notify defects (§ 377 HGB). For consumers, the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) provides warranty rights (Gewährleistung) for defects, with remedies such as repair, replacement, price reduction, or rescission within statutory periods.

Beyond individual transactions, the term appears in economics and procurement. A Käufer can be a retail consumer or a business buyer in supply chains. In procurement, der Käufer issues purchase orders and negotiates terms with suppliers; the relationship is governed by contract law and, in many cases, by framework agreements and tender procedures.

Grammatical note: Käufer is masculine; singular des Käufers; plural die Käufer; dative dem Käufer. The term is widely used in German-language texts and is also found in international contexts describing German or European markets and consumer protection law.