to spare / save
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to spare someone something
To make sure that someone does not have to go through an unpleasant experience, effort, or situation.
Ich möchte dir die schrecklichen Details des Unfalls ersparen.
I want to spare you the terrible details of the accident.
The verb is made up of the prefix 'er-' and 'sparen' (to save). Here, the prefix 'er-' signals that a certain result is achieved through saving—whether money that one has, or effort that one avoids.
Durch gute Planung konnte sie sich viel Arbeit ersparen.
Through good planning, she was able to spare herself a lot of work.
This verb always requires a person in the dative and a thing in the accusative. The structure is: someone (subject) erspart (spares) someone (dative) something (accusative).
Er ersparte seinen Eltern die schlechte Nachricht.
He spared his parents the bad news.
When you spare someone else something, it is usually something unpleasant. Typical combinations are: 'jemandem die Mühe ersparen' (to spare someone the trouble), 'die Details' (the details), 'den Anblick' (the sight), or 'eine Enttäuschung' (a disappointment).
Er hat die Reparatur selbst gemacht und mir damit viel Mühe erspart.
He did the repair himself and spared me a lot of trouble.
When the verb is used reflexively with 'sich' (oneself), the object helps distinguish the meaning. If 'etwas' (something) refers to money or a positive goal, it means 'ansparen' (to save up). If it refers to something negative like stress or annoyance, it means 'vermeiden' (to avoid).
Sie hat sich das Geld für ein neues Auto erspart.
She saved up the money for a new car.
to save
'sparen' and 'ersparen' look similar, and both can have to do with money or with avoiding something. Use 'sparen' in general when you save money or use less of something. In 'sich etwas sparen', it also means that you do without something unnecessary. 'ersparen' usually needs a dative object or a reflexive pronoun: you spare someone something, or spare yourself something. This is often about avoiding effort, an unpleasant situation, or sometimes having money accumulated through saving. The risk of confusion is high because the forms are similar. Practical tip: 'Ich spare Geld' (I am saving money) is normal; 'ich erspare dir den Weg' means you do not have to make the trip.
Karim erspart seiner Mutter den langen Weg und holt die Medikamente selbst ab.
Karim spares his mother the long trip and picks up the medication himself.
Ich spare gerade, weil ich mir im Sommer einen Laptop kaufen möchte.
I’m saving up right now because I want to buy myself a laptop in the summer.