01
bombardieren
to bombard
To attack a place or target in war with bombs or artillery.
example
Im Zweiten Weltkrieg wurden viele europäische Städte bombardiert.
In the Second World War, many European cities were bombarded.
bombardieren
to bombard
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Word structure
The verb 'bombardieren' (to bombard) is derived from the noun 'die Bombe' (the bomb). The ending '-ieren' is often used for verbs formed from foreign words.
EXAMPLE
Die Journalisten bombardierten ihn mit kritischen Fragen.
The journalists bombarded him with critical questions.
Sentence structure and usage pattern
In the figurative meaning, the verb has a fixed structure: someone bombards someone (accusative) with something (dative).
EXAMPLE
Meine Kinder bombardieren mich jeden Tag mit neuen Ideen.
My children bombard me with new ideas every day.
Typical collocations
In the figurative sense, people are often bombarded 'mit Fragen' (with questions), 'mit Anrufen' (with calls), 'mit E-Mails' (with emails), or also 'mit Vorwürfen' (with accusations).
EXAMPLE
Seit der Ankündigung wird der Kundenservice mit Anrufen bombardiert.
Since the announcement, customer service has been bombarded with calls.
Compare with
bombardieren vs angreifen
to attack
'angreifen' and 'bombardieren' can both describe a form of attack. In war, 'bombardieren' is more specific: it means attacking a place with bombs or artillery. 'angreifen' is more general and does not say what means are used for the attack. Figuratively, you can 'bombardieren' someone with questions or messages. Then it means directing a great many things at someone all at once. 'angreifen' with words, on the other hand, means more like sharply criticizing someone, not simply asking a lot of questions.
bombardieren
Nach der Präsentation bombardierten die Zuhörer den Redner mit Fragen.
After the presentation, the audience bombarded the speaker with questions.
angreifen
Die Soldaten griffen das Lager in der Nacht an.
The soldiers attacked the camp during the night.
In real life
Loading video examples...