verb

bemühen

make an effort · strive

Sich anstrengen, um etwas zu erreichen oder zu helfen.

Definition & meaning

bemühen most commonly appears as the reflexive verb sich bemühen: to make an effort, try hard, or strive to achieve something.

Sie bemüht sich um eine Lösung. — “She is making an effort to find a solution.”
Er bemühte sich, pünktlich zu sein. — “He tried hard to be on time.”

Used without a reflexive pronoun, jemanden bemühen can mean to trouble or call upon someone, often in formal contexts: Ich möchte Sie nicht bemühen means “I don’t want to trouble you.”

Grammar & Word origin

Sich bemühen is a regular, inseparable-prefix verb. Its principal forms are bemühen – bemühte – hat sich bemüht. It is commonly used with um plus the accusative when expressing what someone is striving for, or with zu plus an infinitive when describing what they are trying to do.

The word is formed from the prefix be- and Mühe , meaning “effort” or “trouble.” The ending -en marks the infinitive.

Synonyms & antonyms

sich anstrengen — “to exert oneself”; emphasizes applying energy or effort, while sich bemühen can also convey a deliberate attempt.
sich einsetzen — “to commit oneself” or “work for”; often suggests dedication to a cause or goal.
versuchen — “to try”; more general and does not necessarily imply sustained effort.
nachlässig sein — “to be careless”; an opposite in contexts where sich bemühen means taking care to do something well.
sich nicht anstrengen — “not to make an effort”; a direct contextual opposite.