01
bluten
to bleed
To lose blood from a wound or a body opening.
example
Nach dem Sturz vom Fahrrad hat mein Knie stark geblutet.
After falling off the bike, my knee bled heavily.
bluten
to bleed
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'bluten' (to bleed) is directly connected to the noun 'das Blut' (blood). When you bleed, you lose blood.
EXAMPLE
Überall auf dem Boden war Blut.
There was blood all over the floor.
Perfect tense with 'haben'
Although 'bluten' (to bleed) describes a kind of change, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have), not with 'sein' (to be).
EXAMPLE
Er hat nach dem Zahnarztbesuch noch lange geblutet.
He bled for a long time after the dentist appointment.
Sentence structure with preposition
To name the place that is bleeding, you usually use the preposition 'aus' (from/out of) with dative or 'an' (on/at) with dative.
EXAMPLE
Das Kind blutet aus der Nase.
The child is bleeding from the nose.
Colloquial use
In the colloquial meaning 'to pay a lot of money', the preposition 'für' (for) is often used to state the reason for the high costs.
EXAMPLE
Für das neue Dach mussten wir ganz schön bluten.
We really had to pay dearly for the new roof.
Compare with
bluten vs verlaufen
to get lost / to proceed
'verlaufen' and 'bluten' can both describe color not staying neatly in place. 'verlaufen' is used generally when color or liquid flows into something else uncontrollably and the shape becomes blurred. 'bluten' is more technical in this sense and is especially used in printing: ink runs beyond the intended area or shows through paper. Learners may confuse the words because both occur with color and edges. In everyday language, 'verlaufen' is usually more natural; 'bluten' mainly fits printing or design contexts.
bluten
Beim Druck blutet die rote Farbe leicht über den Rand.
In printing, the red ink bleeds slightly over the edge.
verlaufen
Der Text ist nass geworden, und die Tinte ist verlaufen.
The text got wet, and the ink ran.
In real life
Loading video examples...