gebrauchen

Definition & meaning

The verb gebrauchen primarily means to use or utilize something for a specific purpose. It suggests that an object or a tool is being put to work to achieve a result. It is often interchangeable with other German verbs for "using," though it carries a slight nuance of "making use of" the utility of an object.

A second common meaning is to need or to find something useful. This is most frequently seen in the phrase "etwas gut gebrauchen können," which translates to "to be able to use something well" or "to find something very handy at the moment."

Additionally, the past participle gebraucht is very common as an adjective, meaning "used" or "second-hand," such as in "ein gebrauchtes Auto" (a used car).

Grammar & Word origin

gebrauchen is a regular (weak) verb. Its principal forms are:

• Infinitive: gebrauchen
• Prasens: gebraucht
• Präteritum: gebrauchte
• Perfekt: hat gebraucht

The word is composed of the prefix ge↗ and the base verb brauchen↗, which means "to need." Historically, it derives from the Old High German word "gibrūhhan," which originally meant to enjoy, to possess, or to make use of. While brauchen↗ has shifted mostly toward "needing" in modern German, gebrauchen has retained the active sense of "using."

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms for the sense of "to use":

• benutzen↗ (to use, often for tools or objects)
• verwenden↗ (to use or employ, often for resources or materials)
• nutzen↗ (to take advantage of, to use)
• anwenden↗ (to apply a method or rule)

Synonyms for the sense of "to need":

• benötigen↗ (to require)
• brauchen↗ (to need)

Antonyms:

• verschwenden↗ (to waste)
• vergeuden↗ (to squander)
• vernachlässigen↗ (to neglect or leave unused)