VocabuoDictionaryGet the app
verb

säubern

clean

Etwas sauber machen und Schmutz oder schlechte Dinge entfernen.

Definition & meaning

säubern is a German verb meaning to clean, to cleanse, or to remove dirt and impurities.

It is usually used transitively:

  • den Tisch säubern — to clean the table
  • das Wasser säubern — to purify the water
  • die Wunde säubern — to clean the wound

It can also be used reflexively with the meaning to clean oneself:

  • sich gründlich säubern — to clean oneself thoroughly

In a figurative or political context, säubern can mean to purge an organization or group by removing unwanted people or elements. This use can have a strong or negative connotation:

  • eine Partei säubern — to purge a political party

Grammar & Word origin

säubern is a regular, weak verb.

  • Infinitive: säubern
  • Present, third-person singular: säubert
  • Simple past: säuberte
  • Past participle: gesäubert
  • Auxiliary verb: haben
  • Example: Sie hat das Zimmer gesäubert. — She cleaned the room.

The word is derived from sauber , meaning “clean,” with a verb-forming ending. Its basic sense is therefore “to make clean.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

  • reinigen — the most general and neutral synonym for “to clean”; it is often more common than säubern in everyday language.
  • putzen — “to clean” in everyday domestic contexts, especially rooms, windows, or objects. It is more colloquial.
  • sauber machen — literally “to make clean”; very common in ordinary speech.
  • entstauben — specifically “to remove dust.”
  • klären — can mean “to purify” a liquid, but it is not a general synonym for physical cleaning.

säubern often sounds somewhat more formal or deliberate than putzen. It is also particularly suitable when dirt, impurities, or unwanted elements are being removed.

Antonyms

  • verschmutzen — to make dirty or pollute.
  • verunreinigen — to contaminate or soil; more formal and often used for substances, water, or the environment.
  • beschmutzen — to soil or stain something, often physically or figuratively.

Common phrases & collocations

  • einen Raum säubern — to clean a room
  • eine Oberfläche säubern — to clean a surface
  • eine Wunde säubern — to clean a wound
  • Wasser säubern — to purify water
  • sich die Hände säubern — to clean one’s hands
  • eine Organisation säubern — to purge an organization; figurative and often politically charged

Make “säubern” part of your vocabulary.

Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Get Vocabuo on the App StoreGet Vocabuo for Android

Examples

Er säubert das ganze Haus.verb

He cleans the whole house.

Keep exploring German

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play