vertreiben
pass · drive away
Jemanden oder etwas mit Absicht dazu bringen, einen bestimmten Ort zu verlassen oder wegzugehen.
The German word "vertreiben" is a verb that means to drive away, expel, or distribute/sell depending on context.
- It is made up of "ver" (a prefix often indicating change or removal) and "treiben" which means "to drive" or "to propel".
Similar words:
- "jagen" (to chase)
- "verjagen" (to drive away)
- "verkaufen" (to sell)
- "abwehren" (to fend off)
Difference:
- "vertreiben" can mean both forcing someone/something to leave (like "expel" or "drive away") and distributing or selling goods (like "to market").
- Other words like "jagen" focus solely on chasing, while "verkaufen" emphasizes selling without the coercive aspect of "drive away".
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Examples
Wir vertreiben uns die Zeit mit Spielen.verb
We pass the time with games.
Sie vertreiben sich die Langeweile mit einem Spiel.verb
They pass the time with a game.
Spiele helfen ihnen, sich die Stunden zu vertreiben.verb
Games help them pass the hours.
Spiele können uns helfen, uns die Stunden zu vertreiben.verb
Games can help us pass the hours.
Menschen vertreiben oft ihre Langeweile durch Lesen.verb
People often drive away their boredom through reading.
Kinder vertreiben sich den Nachmittag mit Spielen.verb
Children pass the afternoon with games.
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