brennend
burning
Being in the state of combustion; standing in flames.
EXAMPLE
Die Feuerwehr konnte das brennende Auto schnell löschen.
The fire department was able to quickly put out the burning car.
brennend
burning
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Meanings
brennend
burning
(figurative) Very urgent, important, or of great interest.
EXAMPLE
Mich interessiert brennend, wie die Geschichte ausgeht.
I am burning to know how the story ends.
brennend
burning
Causing a strong, painful, or hot sensation on the skin or in the body.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sport hatte er einen brennenden Schmerz im Knie.
After exercising, he had a burning pain in his knee.
brennend
burning
(figurative) Very intense, passionate, or strongly felt.
EXAMPLE
Sie hatte den brennenden Wunsch, eines Tages als Ärztin zu arbeiten.
She had the burning desire to work as a doctor one day.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Brennend' (burning) is the present participle of the verb 'brennen' (to burn). All meanings, including the figurative ones, derive from the idea of burning, heat, or intensity.
EXAMPLE
Eine brennende Kerze stand auf dem Tisch.
A burning candle stood on the table.
Context clue
You can recognize the literal meaning 'in Flammen stehend' (standing in flames) by the fact that the adjective describes a noun that can physically burn, such as a house, wood, or paper.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder saßen um das brennende Lagerfeuer.
The children sat around the burning campfire.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'dringend' (urgent) or 'wichtig' (important), 'brennend' (burning) often appears with abstract nouns such as 'Frage' (question), 'Thema' (topic), 'Problem' (problem), or 'Interesse' (interest).
EXAMPLE
Das ist zurzeit ein brennendes Thema in der Politik.
That is currently a burning issue in politics.
Adverbial use
'Brennend' (burning) is especially often used as an adverb with the verb 'interessieren' (to interest). The expression 'Das interessiert mich brennend' means 'That interests me very much'.
EXAMPLE
Mich würde brennend interessieren, was er dazu gesagt hat.
I would be very interested to know what he said about it.
Intense feelings
To express strong, passionate feelings, 'brennend' (burning) is combined with nouns such as 'Wunsch' (desire), 'Sehnsucht' (longing), or 'Liebe' (love).
EXAMPLE
Er verspürte eine brennende Sehnsucht nach seiner Heimat.
He felt a burning longing for his homeland.
Compare with
brennend vs dringend
urgent / urgently
dringend emphasizes that a problem or task requires immediate attention. brennend can express the same idea, but it also emphasizes that the matter is particularly acute, important, or of great interest. Use dringend for clear time pressure and brennend for a particularly pressing meaning.
brennend
Für die Bewohner ist eine Lösung für den Fehler im Computersystem eine brennende Frage.
For the residents, finding a solution to the error in the computer system is a burning question.
dringend
Wir brauchen dringend eine Lösung für den Fehler im Computersystem.
We urgently need a solution to the error in the computer system.
In real life
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