to threaten
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to threaten
To announce a negative consequence to someone in order to intimidate them or force them to behave in a certain way.
Er drohte ihm mit einer Klage, wenn er das Geld nicht zurückzahlt.
He threatened him with a lawsuit if he didn't pay back the money.
to threaten
Used impersonally to express that a negative event or danger is imminent or likely.
Wegen des starken Regens droht der Fluss über die Ufer zu treten.
Because of the heavy rain, the river threatens to overflow its banks.
to loom
Used in a literary or figurative way for something that appears large and threatening or rises up ominously.
Dunkle Wolken drohten am Horizont und kündigten das Gewitter an.
Dark clouds loomed on the horizon and announced the thunderstorm.
The verb 'drohen' (to threaten) is the action that leads to the noun 'die Drohung' (the threat). When someone threatens, they make a threat.
Seine Drohung machte mir keine Angst.
His threat didn't scare me.
You can distinguish the meanings easily: when one person threatens another, the threatened person is in the dative. When a danger is imminent, the subject of the sentence is the danger itself or the impersonal 'es' (it).
Der Chef drohte dem Mitarbeiter mit der Kündigung.
The boss threatened the employee with dismissal.
When one person threatens another, the person being threatened is always in the dative. A common mistake is using the accusative.
Sie drohte ihm mit rechtlichen Schritten.
She threatened him with legal action.
To describe a threatening action, the construction 'drohen, zu + infinitive' is often used. The verb 'drohen' is conjugated and stands in second position in the main clause.
Das alte Gebäude droht einzustürzen.
The old building threatens to collapse.
The meaning 'to loom threateningly' is mainly used in literature or figurative language to create a gloomy atmosphere. It is rarely used in normal everyday speech.
Die dunklen Berge drohten über dem kleinen Dorf.
The dark mountains loomed over the small village.
to threaten
Drohen describes announcing a negative consequence and usually names the affected person in the dative. Bedrohen takes the intimidated person as an accusative object and can also be used without an explicitly stated threat. Both verbs can work for a verbal threat.
Der Täter drohte der Zeugin mit Gewalt, damit sie schwieg.
The perpetrator threatened the witness with violence so that she would remain silent.
Der Täter bedrohte die Zeugin mit Gewalt, damit sie schwieg.
The perpetrator threatened the witness with violence so that she would remain silent.
