to burn / to set fire to
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to burn / scorch
When cooking, to stick to the bottom of a pot or pan and burn because the heat is too high. The perfect tense is often formed with 'sein' (to be).
Pass auf, dass die Milch nicht anbrennt!
Be careful that the milk doesn't burn!
'Anbrennen' is a separable verb. The prefix 'an-' goes at the end in main clauses. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Vorsicht, die Soße brennt an!
Careful, the sauce is burning!
The auxiliary verb in the perfect tense depends on the meaning. When food burns, intransitively, you use 'sein' (to be). When someone sets something on fire, transitively, you use 'haben' (to have).
Mir ist der Kuchen im Ofen angebrannt.
My cake burned in the oven.
In its most common meaning, 'anbrennen' refers to food that sticks to the bottom of a pot or pan while cooking and burns. The subject is then usually a dish or food item.
Kannst du bitte umrühren, damit der Reis nicht anbrennt?
Could you please stir it so the rice doesn't burn?
The idiom 'nichts anbrennen lassen' is a fixed unit. It is used colloquially and means that someone takes no risks or makes use of every opportunity.
Er ist sehr ehrgeizig und lässt bei keinem Projekt etwas anbrennen.
He is very ambitious and leaves nothing to chance in any project.
to extinguish / delete
'löschen' and 'anbrennen' are opposites here when it comes to fire. 'anbrennen' means that something is deliberately set on fire; however, this use is less common than 'anzünden'. 'löschen', on the other hand, means to put out a fire, for example with water or a fire extinguisher. In normal everyday situations, people usually use 'anzünden' for starting a fire, while 'löschen' is the right word when the fire is put out again.
Niemand darf im Wald trockenes Holz anbrennen.
No one is allowed to set fire to dry wood in the forest.
Die Feuerwehr löscht den Brand mit Wasser und Schaum.
The fire department extinguishes the fire with water and foam.