01
berührend
touching
Causing emotional reactions such as compassion, being moved, or sadness.
example
Der Abschied am Bahnhof war eine sehr berührende Szene.
The farewell at the train station was a very touching scene.
berührend
touching
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Participle as adjective
'Berührend' (touching) is the present participle of the verb 'berühren' (to touch). It is used as an adjective and takes on the two main meanings of the verb: to touch something emotionally or physically.
EXAMPLE
Die Rede des Politikers war tief berührend.
The politician's speech was deeply touching.
Context clue
You can tell from the context whether the emotional or physical meaning is intended. If the word refers to art, stories, or moments, it is emotional. If it refers to concrete objects or bodies, it is physical.
EXAMPLE
Es war ein berührender Moment, als sie sich nach Jahren wiedersahen.
It was a touching moment when they saw each other again after years.
Emotional moments
In the emotional sense, 'berührend' (touching) is often used to describe the effect of art, stories, or personal experiences. Typical combinations are 'eine berührende Geschichte' (a touching story), 'ein berührender Film' (a touching film), or 'berührende Worte' (touching words).
EXAMPLE
Der Film erzählt eine berührende Geschichte über Freundschaft und Verlust.
The film tells a touching story about friendship and loss.
Use with 'sich'
In the physical meaning, 'berührend' (touching) is often used together with the reflexive pronoun 'sich' to express that two or more things are in contact. The word order is then often: 'zwei sich berührende Objekte' (two touching objects).
EXAMPLE
Zeichnen Sie eine Linie zwischen den beiden sich berührenden Kreisen.
Draw a line between the two touching circles.
Compare with
berührend vs nüchtern
fasting / sober
'nüchtern' and 'berührend' are opposites when it comes to emotional effect. 'nüchtern' describes something objective and not very emotional. 'berührend' describes something that triggers feelings, for example sympathy, being moved, or sadness. A report can be 'nüchtern' if it only gives facts. A story is 'berührend' if it moves you inside.
berührend
Die Rede der Mutter war kurz, aber sehr berührend.
The mother's speech was short, but very touching.
nüchtern
Hannah schreibt den Bericht nüchtern, obwohl das Thema schwierig ist.
Hannah writes the report in an objective, unemotional way, even though the topic is difficult.
In real life
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