baden
to swim
To swim in water for pleasure, usually in a lake, the sea, or a swimming pool.
EXAMPLE
An heißen Sommertagen gehen wir gerne im See baden.
On hot summer days, we like to go swimming in the lake.
baden
to bathe / swim
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Meanings
baden
to bathe
To wash oneself in a bathtub filled with water.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sport bade ich immer heiß, um meine Muskeln zu entspannen.
After exercising, I always take a hot bath to relax my muscles.
etwas ausbaden müssen
to have to pay for something
To have to bear the negative consequences of something, often caused by another person.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder hat die Vase zerbrochen, aber ich musste es vor unseren Eltern ausbaden.
My brother broke the vase, but I had to pay for it in front of our parents.
in etwas baden
to bask in something
In a figurative sense: to be surrounded by an abundance of something and enjoy it.
EXAMPLE
Nach ihrem Auftritt durfte die Sängerin im Applaus des Publikums baden.
After her performance, the singer was allowed to bask in the audience's applause.
Usage tips
Word family 'Bad'
The verb 'baden' (to bathe/swim) is the origin of many nouns related to water and washing. Examples are 'das Bad' (bathroom), 'die Badewanne' (bathtub), or 'der Badeanzug' (swimsuit).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Baden brauchst du ein frisches Handtuch.
After bathing, you need a fresh towel.
Context clue: place of bathing/swimming
You can tell whether 'baden' (to bathe/swim) means swimming outdoors or washing in the bathtub from the place. Phrases like 'im See' (in the lake) or 'im Meer' (in the sea) point to swimming, while 'in der Badewanne' (in the bathtub) means washing.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder lieben es, im Meer zu baden.
The children love swimming in the sea.
Fixed combination: 'baden gehen'
To express that you are moving to a place in order to swim there, the construction 'baden gehen' (to go swimming) is often used. In the perfect tense it is 'sind baden gegangen' (went swimming).
EXAMPLE
Am Wochenende sind wir mit Freunden am See baden gegangen.
At the weekend, we went swimming at the lake with friends.
Separable verb: 'ausbaden'
In the idiom 'etwas ausbaden müssen' (to have to pay for something), 'ausbaden' is a separable verb. The prefix 'aus-' stands at the end in a main clause. The expression means having to bear the negative consequences of something.
EXAMPLE
Er hat den Fehler gemacht, aber seine Kollegin musste ihn ausbaden.
He made the mistake, but his colleague had to pay for it.
Figurative meaning
The construction 'in etwas baden' (to bask in something) is often used figuratively. It means to enjoy something in abundance, for example 'in der Sonne baden' (to bask in the sun), 'im Applaus baden' (to bask in applause), or 'im Geld baden' (to be rolling in money).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sieg konnte die Mannschaft im Jubel der Fans baden.
After the victory, the team could bask in the fans' cheers.
Compare with
baden vs Bad
bathroom / bath
When referring to bathing in a tub, both words describe the same activity but differ grammatically: „das Bad“ denotes the bathing process as a noun. With the verb „baden“, you say that someone is carrying out this activity.
baden
Nach dem Sport bade ich gern in warmem Wasser.
After exercising, I like to bathe in warm water.
Bad
Nach dem Sport tut mir ein warmes Bad gut.
After exercising, a warm bath does me good.
In real life
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