berühren
to touch
To make light physical contact with something or someone.
EXAMPLE
Er berührte sie sanft am Arm, um ihre Aufmerksamkeit zu bekommen.
He touched her gently on the arm to get her attention.
berühren
to touch
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Meanings
berühren
to touch
To affect or move someone emotionally; to trigger feelings in someone.
EXAMPLE
Der Film hat mich tief berührt und zum Nachdenken gebracht.
The film touched me deeply and made me think.
berühren
to affect
To concern a topic or situation or be relevant to it.
EXAMPLE
Die neue Regelung berührt alle Abteilungen des Unternehmens.
The new regulation affects all departments of the company.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Berühren' (to touch) is an inseparable verb made up of the prefix 'be-' and the verb 'rühren' (to move/stir). The prefix 'be-' remains firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms.
EXAMPLE
Bitte berühren Sie die Kunstwerke im Museum nicht.
Please do not touch the artworks in the museum.
Always with accusative
The verb 'berühren' is always used with an accusative object. It answers the question 'Wen oder was berühren?' (whom or what to touch?).
EXAMPLE
Seine Worte haben alle Anwesenden tief berührt.
His words deeply touched everyone present.
Context clue
The meaning of 'berühren' depends on the object. A physical object points to the literal meaning, a person to the emotional meaning, and an abstract topic to the figurative meaning (to affect/concern).
EXAMPLE
Ihre Hand berührte kurz seine Schulter.
Her hand briefly touched his shoulder.
Light contact
In its literal meaning, 'berühren' usually describes light, often brief physical contact. It is not a firm or grasping action.
EXAMPLE
Die Äste des Baumes berühren fast das Fenster.
The branches of the tree almost touch the window.
Emotional meaning
When 'berühren' is meant emotionally, it is often intensified with adverbs such as 'tief' (deeply), 'sehr' (very much), or 'kaum' (hardly). It describes that a situation, a story, or music triggers strong feelings.
EXAMPLE
Ihre traurige Lebensgeschichte hat mich sehr berührt.
Her sad life story touched me very much.
Compare with
berühren vs treffen
to meet / to hit
Both words can express a strong emotional impact. berühren can move someone in a pleasant or painful way, while treffen usually suggests an especially strong, personal, or hurtful impact. Use berühren for moving impressions and treffen when the person’s emotional distress is the focus.
berühren
Die Nachricht vom Hilfsprojekt berührte sie sehr.
The news about the aid project touched her deeply.
treffen
Die Nachricht vom Unfall traf sie sehr.
The news of the accident affected her deeply.
In real life
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