erfordern

Definition & meaning

erfordern means “to require,” “to necessitate,” or “to call for.” It describes something that is necessary because of a particular situation, task, or condition.

• Die Aufgabe erfordert viel Geduld. — The task requires a lot of patience.
• Diese Arbeit erfordert besondere Kenntnisse. — This work requires special knowledge.
• Der Umbau erfordert erhebliche finanzielle Mittel. — The renovation necessitates considerable financial resources.

It is relatively formal and is especially common in written, professional, and official language.

Grammar & Word origin

erfordern is a transitive, inseparable verb and usually takes an accusative object.

• Infinitive: erfordern [vocabuo://word/erfordern]
• Present tense: er erfordert — he requires
• Simple past: er erforderte — he required
• Past participle: erfordert — required
• Auxiliary verb: haben — hat erfordert

Structure:

• er- [vocabuo://word/er-] — a prefix that can indicate the achievement or bringing about of a result
• fordern [vocabuo://word/fordern] — to demand, request, or call for

Historically, erfordern developed from the idea of something being demanded or made necessary by circumstances.

The subject is often the required thing, while the object is the person, resource, or quality needed:

• Die Reparatur erfordert Fachwissen. — The repair requires specialist knowledge.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• benötigen [vocabuo://word/benötigen] — to need or require; more neutral and common in everyday language.
  Der Patient benötigt Ruhe. — The patient needs rest.

• brauchen [vocabuo://word/brauchen] — to need; more informal and general than erfordern.
  Wir brauchen mehr Zeit. — We need more time.

• verlangen [vocabuo://word/verlangen] — to demand or require; often emphasizes that something places a strong demand on someone.
  Die Arbeit verlangt große Konzentration. — The work demands great concentration.

• bedingen [vocabuo://word/bedingen] — to necessitate or entail; formal and often used for conditions or consequences.
  Die Änderung bedingt weitere Anpassungen. — The change necessitates further adjustments.

• voraussetzen [vocabuo://word/voraussetzen] — to presuppose or require as a prerequisite.
  Die Ausbildung setzt Grundkenntnisse voraus. — The training presupposes basic knowledge.

Antonyms

There is no single exact antonym. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:

• überflüssig machen [vocabuo://word/überflüssig%20machen] — to make unnecessary
• entbehrlich machen [vocabuo://word/entbehrlich%20machen] — to make dispensable
• vermeiden [vocabuo://word/vermeiden] — to avoid, thereby preventing something from becoming necessary

For example:

• Die neue Technik macht zusätzliche Kontrollen überflüssig. — The new technology makes additional checks unnecessary.

Common phrases & collocations

• Zeit erfordern [vocabuo://word/Zeit%20erfordern] — to require time
• Geduld erfordern [vocabuo://word/Geduld%20erfordern] — to require patience
• besondere Kenntnisse erfordern [vocabuo://word/besondere%20Kenntnisse%20erfordern] — to require special knowledge
• großen Aufwand erfordern [vocabuo://word/großen%20Aufwand%20erfordern] — to require considerable effort
• eine Genehmigung erfordern [vocabuo://word/eine%20Genehmigung%20erfordern] — to require a permit
• Maßnahmen erfordern [vocabuo://word/Maßnahmen%20erfordern] — to necessitate measures
• eine Änderung erfordern [vocabuo://word/eine%20Änderung%20erfordern] — to require a change