touch / contact
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touch
Direct physical contact between two or more people, body parts, or objects.
Eine sanfte Berührung an der Schulter kann mehr Trost spenden als viele Worte.
A gentle touch on the shoulder can offer more comfort than many words.
to come into contact with
To come into contact with something or someone, to engage with it, or to have an experience with it.
Als Arzt kommt man täglich mit menschlichem Leid in Berührung.
As a doctor, you come into contact with human suffering every day.
'Die Berührung' (touch/contact) is the noun derived from the verb 'berühren' (to touch). It describes the action or result of touching.
Bitte berühren Sie die Ausstellungsstücke nicht.
Please do not touch the exhibits.
The figurative meaning is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'mit etwas/jemandem in Berührung kommen' (to come into contact with something/someone). This construction requires the dative.
In meinem Beruf komme ich mit vielen verschiedenen Kulturen in Berührung.
In my job, I come into contact with many different cultures.
The fixed expression 'in Berührung kommen mit' (to come into contact with) signals the figurative meaning. If 'Berührung' (touch/contact) stands alone or with adjectives like 'sanft' (gentle) or 'kalt' (cold), it usually means direct physical contact.
Er war noch nie mit dem Gesetz in Berührung gekommen.
He had never come into contact with the law before.
In the literal sense, 'Berührung' (touch/contact) is often combined with adjectives that describe the type of contact, e.g. 'eine sanfte Berührung' (a gentle touch), 'eine flüchtige Berührung' (a fleeting touch), or 'eine zärtliche Berührung' (a tender touch).
Eine flüchtige Berührung ihrer Hände reichte aus, um ihn nervös zu machen.
A fleeting touch of their hands was enough to make him nervous.
contact
Kontakt often neutrally describes the state of two bodies or surfaces being in direct contact. Berührung places more emphasis on the specific act or a single moment of touching. Kontakt is therefore appropriate for an ongoing state, while Berührung is more suitable for a brief event.
Bei der kurzen Berührung der beiden Metallflächen entstand ein Funke.
A spark formed when the two metal surfaces briefly touched.
Die beiden Metallflächen bleiben während des Betriebs ständig in Kontakt.
The two metal surfaces remain in constant contact during operation.
