bedurfte
require
Definition & meaning
bedurfte is the simple past form of bedürfen , meaning “needed,” “required,” or “was in need of.”
It is a formal or somewhat literary verb and is usually used with a genitive noun:
- Er bedurfte keiner Hilfe. — He needed no help.
- Die Aufgabe bedurfte großer Sorgfalt. — The task required great care.
- Es bedurfte weiterer Untersuchungen. — Further investigations were necessary.
In modern everyday German, brauchte or benötigte is usually more natural.
Grammar & Word origin
- Infinitive: bedürfen
- Tense: simple past, or Präteritum
- Person: first- or third-person singular
- ich bedurfte — I needed
- er/sie/es bedurfte — he/she/it needed
- Perfect tense: hat bedurft
- Typical construction: bedürfen + Genitiv
The prefix be- changes the meaning of the base verb dürfen , but bedürfen is not understood as “be allowed.” It is related to the noun Bedarf , meaning “need” or “requirement.”
The form bedürfte , with an umlaut, is different: it is the subjunctive II form and means “would need” or “would require.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- benötigte — “needed”; neutral and common in both spoken and written German.
- brauchte — “needed”; the most common everyday alternative.
- erforderte — “required”; often focuses on something demanding a particular condition, resource, or action.
bedurfte is more formal and commonly takes a genitive object, whereas brauchte and benötigte are more frequent in ordinary conversation.
Antonyms
There is no exact single-word antonym. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:
- entbehrte — “did without” or “lacked,” emphasizing the absence of a need or resource.
- verzichtete auf — “did without” or “waived,” emphasizing a deliberate choice not to use something.
- war überflüssig — “was unnecessary,” describing something that was not needed.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Das Projekt bedurfte großer Sorgfalt.other
The project required great care.
Seine Erklärung bedurfte keiner weiteren Diskussion.other
His explanation required no further discussion.
Die Reparatur bedurfte eines Spezialisten.other
The repair required a specialist.
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