beunruhigen
to worry
To cause someone unease, concern, or fear.
EXAMPLE
Die Nachricht von dem Unfall hat mich tief beunruhigt.
The news of the accident deeply worried me.
beunruhigen
to worry / unsettle
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Meanings
sich beunruhigen
to worry
To be worried; to enter a state of unease or fear.
EXAMPLE
Du musst dich nicht beunruhigen, ich bin bald wieder zu Hause.
You don't need to worry; I'll be home soon.
Usage tips
Word structure
The verb comes from the noun 'die Unruhe' (unease/restlessness). The prefix 'be-' and the ending '-igen' turn it into a verb meaning 'to cause unease.'
EXAMPLE
Seine späte Ankunft verursachte große Unruhe.
His late arrival caused great unease.
Transitive vs. reflexive
Pay attention to the difference between the transitive and reflexive uses. In the transitive use, something 'beunruhigt' (worries/unsettles) a person in the accusative; in the reflexive use, a person in the nominative worries themselves.
EXAMPLE
Sein seltsames Verhalten beunruhigt mich. (transitiv)
His strange behavior worries me. (transitive)
Inseparable verb
'Beunruhigen' (to worry/unsettle) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'be-' stays firmly attached to the verb stem in all tenses and sentence constructions.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat sich wegen der schlechten Nachrichten sehr beunruhigt.
She was very worried because of the bad news.
Typical triggers
When something worries a person, the subject is often an abstract concept or a piece of information. Typical examples are: 'eine Nachricht' (a message/news), 'ein Geräusch' (a noise), 'die Stille' (the silence), 'eine Entwicklung' (a development), or 'das Verhalten' (the behavior).
EXAMPLE
Die plötzliche Stille im Haus beunruhigte ihn mehr als der Lärm zuvor.
The sudden silence in the house worried him more than the noise before.
Compare with
beunruhigen vs beschäftigen
to occupy / employ
A message beschäftigt someone when they cannot stop thinking about it; they do not necessarily have to be afraid. It beunruhigt them when it explicitly causes unease, worry, or fear. For a clear emotional reaction, beunruhigen is therefore the better choice.
beunruhigen
Die Nachricht über die geplante Änderung beunruhigt ihn, weil er um seine Stelle fürchtet.
The message about the planned change worries him because he fears for his job.
beschäftigen
Die Nachricht über die geplante Änderung beschäftigt ihn noch immer.
The message about the planned change is still on his mind.
In real life
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