to filter
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to filter
To pass a liquid, a gas, or even light through a filter in order to remove unwanted substances or components from it.
Man sollte das Wasser filtern, bevor man es trinkt.
You should filter the water before drinking it.
The verb 'filtern' (to filter) belongs to the word family around 'der Filter' (the filter). A filter is the device or material used to carry out the act of filtering.
Dieser spezielle Filter soll Schadstoffe aus der Luft filtern.
This special filter is designed to filter pollutants out of the air.
The object of the verb makes the meaning clear. If you filter a physical substance like 'Wasser' (water), 'Luft' (air), or 'Kaffee' (coffee), the literal meaning is intended. If you filter digital information like 'E-Mails' (emails), 'Daten' (data), or 'Suchergebnisse' (search results), the figurative meaning from data processing is intended.
Die neue Maschine kann die Luft im Raum sehr effektiv filtern.
The new machine can filter the air in the room very effectively.
When you want to say what is being removed, you often use the preposition 'aus' (out of/from). The structure is: [unwanted substances] aus [liquid/gas] filtern.
Die Anlage filtert kleinste Partikel aus dem Abwasser.
The system filters the tiniest particles out of the wastewater.
In digital contexts, 'filtern' (to filter) is very often used with the preposition 'nach' (by/according to) to indicate the selection criterion. The structure is: [data] nach [criterion] filtern.
Du kannst die Tabelle nach dem Datum oder dem Preis filtern.
You can filter the table by date or price.
to happen / pass
'passieren' and 'filtern' can both mean that something goes through a sieve or filter so that solid parts are left behind. In cooking, 'passieren' is used especially with soft foods, soups, or sauces: you press them through a sieve so they become smoother. 'filtern' is more suitable for liquids, gases, or light when unwanted substances are removed, for example with water or coffee. The words are similar, but the typical context is different: 'passieren' sounds like cooking and puréeing, while 'filtern' sounds like cleaning or separating.
Vor dem Trinken filtert Maria das Wasser mit einem kleinen Gerät.
Before drinking it, Maria filters the water with a small device.
Für die Tomatensoße habe ich die gekochten Tomaten durch ein Sieb passiert.
For the tomato sauce, I pressed the cooked tomatoes through a sieve.