to exhaust / deplete
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to deplete
To use something up completely so that none of it is left. Often refers to resources, supplies, or possibilities.
Nach wochenlanger Suche hatten die Retter alle Möglichkeiten erschöpft.
After weeks of searching, the rescuers had exhausted all possibilities.
to exhaust
To make someone physically or mentally very tired; to drain them. The participle 'erschöpft' (exhausted) is very commonly used as an adjective meaning 'very tired'.
Die lange Reise mit den Kindern hat mich völlig erschöpft.
The long trip with the children completely exhausted me.
to amount to
To be limited to something and not go beyond it, often with a negative connotation that it is insufficient.
Seine Beteiligung an dem Projekt erschöpfte sich darin, gelegentlich eine E-Mail zu schreiben.
His involvement in the project amounted to occasionally writing an email.
The verb is made up of 'er-' and 'schöpfen' (to scoop/draw). 'Schöpfen' means to take something out, for example water. So 'erschöpfen' (to exhaust/deplete) has the literal idea of taking something out until nothing is left—whether resources or one's own strength.
Wir haben unsere finanziellen Reserven vollständig erschöpft.
We have completely depleted our financial reserves.
The past participle 'erschöpft' is very commonly used as an adjective and means 'very tired'. The form 'Ich bin erschöpft' (I am exhausted) is more common in everyday speech than the active sentence 'Die Arbeit erschöpft mich' (The work exhausts me).
Nach dem langen Flug waren alle Reisenden völlig erschöpft.
After the long flight, all the travelers were completely exhausted.
The meaning 'to be limited to something' exists only in the reflexive form with the preposition 'in' and the dative: 'sich in etwas (Dativ) erschöpfen' (to amount to / be limited to something).
Seine Hilfe erschöpfte sich leider in guten Ratschlägen.
Unfortunately, his help amounted to good advice.
In the meaning 'to use up', 'erschöpfen' (to deplete/exhaust) is usually used with abstract nouns. Typical objects are: die Vorräte (supplies), die Ressourcen (resources), die Geduld (patience), or ein Thema (a topic).
Nach zwei Stunden war das Thema vollständig erschöpft und es gab nichts mehr zu sagen.
After two hours, the topic was completely exhausted and there was nothing more to say.
to consume / use up
Verbrauchen generally means that using something leaves less of a supply, but the supply does not have to disappear completely. Erschöpfen, by contrast, emphasizes that the available supply has reached its end. Verbrauchen therefore suits normal consumption, while erschöpfen suits a supply being completely depleted.
Der lange Betrieb erschöpft schließlich den gesamten Brennstoffvorrat.
The prolonged operation eventually depletes the entire fuel supply.
Der lange Betrieb verbraucht einen großen Teil des Brennstoffvorrats.
The prolonged operation consumes a large part of the fuel supply.
