verb
fürchten
fear
Angst vor etwas haben oder sich Sorgen machen, dass etwas Schlimmes passieren könnte.
The German word „fürchten“ is a verb that means "to fear" or "to be afraid of".
- It is not composed of smaller root words (excluding prefixes).
- It expresses feelings of fear, anxiety, or apprehension.
Similar words:
- ängstigen – to frighten/ scare (often used for causing fear in someone)
- befürchten – to fear/ to apprehend (usually about a possible negative event)
- sich sorgen um – to worry about
Differences:
- Fürchten emphasizes the feeling of fear itself.
- Ängstigen focuses more on causing fear or frightening someone.
- Befürchten is often used when apprehensive about something that might happen.
- Sorgen um is more about caring/worry than outright fear.
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Examples
Viele Menschen fürchten Gewitter.verb
Many people fear thunderstorms.
Kinder fürchten sich oft im Dunkeln.verb
Children often fear being in the dark.
Er fürchtet das Gewitter.verb
He fears the thunderstorm.
Er fürchtet die Dunkelheit nicht.verb
He does not fear the darkness.
Er fürchtet den nächsten Schritt.verb
He fears the next step.
Viele Menschen fürchten Spinnen.verb
Many people fear spiders.
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