befürchten
fear
Ein Gefühl haben, dass etwas Schlimmes passieren könnte.
The German word "befürchten" is a verb that means "to fear" or "to be afraid of". It is created by adding the prefix "be-" to the verb "fürchten", which on its own means "to fear". This combination serves to intensify the action of fearing.
Similar words in the same semantic field include "ängstigen" (to scare), "sorgen" (to worry), and "fürchten" (to fear as a basic verb).
The key difference between "befürchten" and "fürchten" is that "befürchten" often has a connotation of expecting a specific negative outcome due to evident reasons or particular circumstances, while "fürchten" is a general expression of fear. "Ängstigen" emphasizes the emotional state of being scared or frightened, and "sorgen" focuses more on feelings of worry or anxious concern about something or someone.
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Examples
Ich befürchte, es wird regnen.verb
I fear it will rain.
Er befürchtet eine schlechte Nachricht.verb
He fears bad news.
Er befürchtet, zu spät zu kommen.verb
He fears arriving too late.
Wir befürchten eine Verspätung.verb
We fear a delay.
Sie befürchten das Schlimmste.verb
They fear the worst.
Er befürchtet, dass es regnen könnte.verb
He fears that it could rain.
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