to invest
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to invest in
To put resources such as money, time, or effort into something in the hope of future profit, benefit, or success.
Sie hat viel Zeit in ihre Ausbildung investiert, um einen guten Job zu finden.
She invested a lot of time in her education in order to find a good job.
Verbs ending in '-ieren' are almost always regular. They form the past participle with '-t' (investiert) and the simple past with '-te' (investierte).
Er hat sein ganzes Erspartes in die neue Firma investiert.
He invested all his savings in the new company.
The verb 'investieren' (to invest) is almost always used with the preposition 'in' followed by an accusative object. You invest in something.
Es lohnt sich, in eine gute Ausbildung zu investieren.
It is worth investing in a good education.
You can invest not only 'Geld' (money), but also abstract resources. Common combinations are 'Zeit investieren' (to invest time), 'Energie investieren' (to invest energy), or 'viel Mühe investieren' (to invest a lot of effort).
Ich habe viel Energie in dieses Projekt investiert und hoffe, dass es erfolgreich wird.
I invested a lot of energy in this project and hope that it will be successful.
The meaning 'jemanden in ein Amt einsetzen' (to install someone in an office) is very formal and rare. It is mainly used in historical or very official, ceremonial contexts.
Der König wurde feierlich in sein Amt investiert.
The king was solemnly invested in his office.
to use
'verwenden' and 'investieren' have in common that you put something to use. 'verwenden' is more general: you use a tool, a word, a method, or material for a purpose. 'investieren' is used mainly with money, time, or effort when you expect a benefit, profit, or success later. The words can be confused because both have to do with putting something into something. As a simple guide: you use something with 'verwenden' in order to do something now; you invest something with 'investieren' because it is supposed to pay off later.
Er investiert viel Zeit in den Deutschkurs, weil er eine bessere Stelle finden möchte.
He invests a lot of time in the German course because he wants to find a better job.
Bei der Arbeit verwenden wir ein neues Programm für die Planung.
At work, we use a new program for planning.