Question
Updated on
31 Oct 2017
- Arabic
- English (US) Near fluent
- Persian Near fluent
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German
Question about German
What is the difference between brennen and verbrennen ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between brennen and verbrennen ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
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- German
This is a common pattern with German verbs: you have a base verb and then other derivatives of that verb that have an added prefix.
brennen just means "to burn".
The ver- prefix (not separable) often adds the meaning or nuance of using something up or consuming something entirely, as in this case: so etw. verbrennen means to burn sth. so that nothing remains of it. E.g. foliage: Laub verbrennen, Bücher verbrennen, Holz im Ofen verbrennen etc.
Compare these verbs that also use this meaning of ver-:
verbrauchen (use up or consume)
vergeben (give away)
verteilen (distribute [so that nothing of the original amount remains])
vermieten (rent out to sb.)
versinken (sink so that something is submerged completely in water)
etc.
etw. verkaufen (sell, i.e. you lose the original object)
Another common meaning of ver- is to do something wrong, to make a mistake in doing sth:
sich verlaufen / sich verfahren (lose one's way while walking / driving)
sich versprechen (misspeak)
sich verhören (mishear)
versagen (fail)
verdrehen (from drehen (to spin or rotate) -- contort or twist)
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