to prune / to restrict
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to prune
To cut back plants, trees, or shrubs in order to promote their growth, give them a shape, or remove dead parts.
Im Frühling müssen die Rosen stark beschnitten werden.
In spring, the roses have to be pruned heavily.
'Beschneiden' (to prune / to restrict) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'be-' stays firmly attached to the stem verb 'schneiden' (to cut) in all tenses and sentence constructions.
Der Gärtner beschnitt die Bäume im Herbst.
The gardener pruned the trees in the fall.
You can recognize the meaning of 'beschneiden' (to prune / to restrict) from the object. If it involves plants ('Bäume' (trees), 'Hecken' (hedges)), it is about gardening. With abstract nouns ('Rechte' (rights), 'Budget' (budget)), it means 'reduzieren' (to reduce).
Wir müssen die Hecke im Garten beschneiden.
We have to prune the hedge in the garden.
In a gardening context, 'beschneiden' (to prune) is typically used with plants such as 'Bäume' (trees), 'Sträucher' (shrubs), 'Rosen' (roses), or 'Hecken' (hedges).
Wenn man Obstbäume regelmäßig beschneidet, tragen sie mehr Früchte.
If you prune fruit trees regularly, they bear more fruit.
In the figurative meaning 'einschränken' (to restrict), the verb is often combined with abstract nouns such as 'Rechte' (rights), 'Freiheiten' (freedoms), 'Mittel' (resources), or 'Budget' (budget).
Man warf der Regierung vor, die bürgerlichen Freiheiten zu beschneiden.
The government was accused of restricting civil liberties.
The figurative meaning, to reduce something, is used mainly in formal, official, or written contexts such as news reports or political debates.
In der Sitzung wurde beschlossen, die Ausgaben für das Projekt zu beschneiden.
At the meeting, it was decided to cut the spending for the project.
to reduce
'reduzieren' and 'beschneiden' can both mean that something becomes less. 'reduzieren' is neutral and general: you can reduce costs, amounts, working hours, or noise. 'beschneiden' is more suitable when something is limited or cut back, especially rights, freedoms, opportunities, or financial resources. It often sounds stronger because it shows that something is being taken away from someone or restricted. For simple numbers and amounts, 'reduzieren' is usually more natural.
Die neuen Regeln beschneiden die Rechte der Mieter.
The new rules restrict tenants' rights.
Am Wochenende reduzieren wir die Lernzeit, damit alle eine Pause bekommen.
On the weekend, we reduce the study time so that everyone gets a break.