verb

umbringen

kill

Jemandem das Leben nehmen.

Definition & meaning

The verb umbringen is a German term primarily used to describe the act of ending a life. It has two main meanings:

To kill/murder: This is the most common usage, referring to the act of causing the death of a person or animal. It is often used in the context of violent crime, but can also be used figuratively or colloquially.
To exhaust/overwhelm: In a figurative sense, it can mean to cause someone extreme physical or mental distress. For example, saying "Die Arbeit bringt mich um" means "The work is killing me" (meaning it is exhausting me or causing me extreme stress).

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: It is a separable verb (trennbares Verb). In a sentence, the prefix "um-" is separated from the base verb "bringen" and moved to the end of the clause in main sentences.

Example: "Er bringt ihn um." (He kills him.)
Past tense (Präteritum): "Er brachte ihn um."
Perfect tense: "Er hat ihn umgebracht."

Word origin: The word is composed of the preposition "um" (around/about) and the verb "bringen" (to bring). Historically, the phrase meant "to bring someone 'around' to the other side," which evolved into a euphemism for taking someone's life, eventually becoming the standard term for killing.