schöpfen
draw
Mit einem Gefäß etwas aus einer Flüssigkeit nehmen, zum Beispiel Wasser.
Definition & meaning
schöpfen is a German verb with several related meanings:
-
To scoop, draw, or ladle up a liquid
It means taking water or another liquid from a container, well, or body of water, usually with a vessel or ladle.- Wasser schöpfen — to draw or scoop water
- Sie schöpft Wasser aus dem Brunnen. — She draws water from the well.
-
To create or produce something original
This use is often somewhat elevated or literary and can refer to art, ideas, works, or an entire world.- ein Kunstwerk schöpfen — to create a work of art
- eine neue Welt schöpfen — to create a new world
-
To draw or derive something from a source
In this meaning, something such as strength, hope, knowledge, or benefit is obtained from an experience or source.- Hoffnung schöpfen — to gain or draw hope
- Kraft schöpfen — to regain or draw strength
- Nutzen aus etwas schöpfen — to derive benefit from something
-
To begin to suspect something
In the fixed expression Verdacht schöpfen, it means “to become suspicious” or “to start suspecting something.”
Grammar & Word origin
schöpfen is a regular, weak verb:
- Present: ich schöpfe, du schöpfst, er/sie schöpft
- Simple past: ich schöpfte
- Past participle: geschöpft
- Perfect auxiliary: haben
- Infinitive with zu: zu schöpfen
The stem is schöpf-, followed by the infinitive ending -en. It is not a separable verb.
The verb goes back to Old and Middle High German forms related to shaping, forming, and creating. Its meanings developed toward both “creating” and “drawing something out,” which explains the modern range of meanings. Related German words include der Schöpfer (“creator”) and die Schöpfung (“creation” or “the created world”).
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
Depending on the meaning:
- schöpfen → holen or entnehmen : to take or draw something from a source. These are more general and usually less vivid than schöpfen.
- abschöpfen : to scoop something off the surface, especially liquid, foam, or fat. It is more specific than schöpfen.
- erzeugen : to produce or generate something. It is more technical and less creative than schöpfen.
- erschaffen : to create something entirely new, often with a grand, artistic, or religious tone. It is stronger and more emphatic than schöpfen.
- kreieren : to create, especially a design, dish, style, or artistic product. It is often associated with deliberate creativity.
- ableiten : to derive something logically or conceptually from a source. It is more analytical than schöpfen.
- gewinnen : to gain or obtain something, as in Hoffnung gewinnen (“to gain hope”). It is more neutral than the metaphorical Hoffnung schöpfen.
Antonyms
There is no single antonym for every meaning of schöpfen.
- For the creative meaning, zerstören (“to destroy”) and vernichten (“to annihilate”) are possible opposites.
- For the meaning “to draw strength or hope,” verlieren (“to lose”) may be an opposite, as in losing hope or strength.
- For the meaning “to scoop up,” ausschütten (“to pour out”) or zurückgießen (“to pour back”) can describe the reverse action.
Common phrases & collocations
- Wasser schöpfen — to draw or scoop water
- aus dem Brunnen schöpfen — to draw water from the well
- Hoffnung schöpfen — to gain hope
- Kraft schöpfen — to regain or draw strength
- Mut schöpfen — to gain courage
- Vertrauen schöpfen — to gain confidence or trust
- Nutzen aus etwas schöpfen — to derive benefit from something
- aus dem Vollen schöpfen — to have abundant resources at one’s disposal and use them freely
- Verdacht schöpfen — to become suspicious
- eine Idee schöpfen — to come up with or conceive an idea, a relatively elevated expression
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Examples
Du schöpfst Kraft aus der Ruhe der Natur.verb
You draw strength from the peace of nature.
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