to fast
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to fast
To voluntarily abstain from food or certain foods and drinks for a specific period of time, often for religious or health reasons.
Im Christentum fasten viele Menschen in der Zeit vor Ostern.
In Christianity, many people fast in the period before Easter.
Careful: the German verb 'fasten' means not to eat. It is a false friend of the English verb 'to fasten', which means 'befestigen' (to attach/secure) or 'anschnallen' (to buckle up).
Viele Muslime fasten während des Ramadan.
Many Muslims fast during Ramadan.
'Fasten' (to fast) is usually used without an object because it describes the general act of not eating. You simply say 'Ich faste' (I am fasting).
Er fastet eine Woche lang, um seinen Körper zu entgiften.
He fasts for a week to detox his body.
The verb is often used in connection with religion or health. Typical phrases are 'aus religiösen Gründen fasten' (to fast for religious reasons) or 'aus gesundheitlichen Gründen fasten' (to fast for health reasons).
Mein Arzt hat mir empfohlen, aus gesundheitlichen Gründen zu fasten.
My doctor recommended that I fast for health reasons.
In its figurative meaning, 'fasten' (to fast) often becomes part of new compound words. Examples are 'Digitalfasten' (giving up digital media) or 'Konsumfasten' (giving up shopping/consumption).
Eine Woche Digitalfasten hat mir sehr gutgetan.
A week of digital fasting did me a lot of good.
to give up / to do without
'verzichten' and 'fasten' both have to do with voluntarily leaving something out or giving something up. 'verzichten' is the general word: you can give up or do without food, alcohol, money, a trip, or many other things. 'fasten' is more specific. Usually it is about food or certain foods and drinks for a particular period of time, often for religious or health reasons. In a figurative sense, you can also 'fasten' from social media or television. The words can be confused because fasting is a kind of giving something up. But not every act of giving something up is fasting.
Vor der Untersuchung fastet sie, weil die Ärztin es empfohlen hat.
Before the examination, she fasts because the doctor recommended it.
Herr Hofmann verzichtet im Bus auf Musik, damit er lesen kann.
Mr. Hofmann does without music on the bus so that he can read.