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
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
berührend
touching
Physically touching something or being in direct contact with it.
EXAMPLE
Zwei sich berührende Hochspannungsleitungen können einen Kurzschluss verursachen.
Two touching high-voltage power lines can cause a short circuit.
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 bewegend
moving
Bewegend and berührend describe an emotional effect. Bewegend refers to a strong inner reaction and can involve different feelings such as joy or grief. Berührend tends to emphasize personal emotion or compassion.
berührend
Die Rede der Tochter war berührend, weil sie sehr persönlich von ihrer Mutter erzählte.
The daughter’s speech was touching because she spoke about her mother in a very personal way.
bewegend
Die Rede über das gemeinsame Leben war bewegend und löste zugleich Freude und Trauer aus.
The speech about their life together was moving and evoked both joy and grief.
In real life
Loading video examples...