kombinieren
to combine
To connect or put together different things so that they form a meaningful or suitable whole.
EXAMPLE
Sie kombiniert gerne elegante Kleidung mit sportlichen Schuhen.
She likes to combine elegant clothing with sporty shoes.
kombinieren
to combine
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Meanings
kombinieren
to deduce
To draw a conclusion by logically connecting information or observations.
EXAMPLE
Aus den Spuren am Tatort kombinierte der Kommissar, dass der Täter durch das Fenster eingestiegen war.
From the traces at the crime scene, the detective deduced that the perpetrator had entered through the window.
Usage tips
Verbs ending in '-ieren'
'Kombinieren' (to combine) is a typical verb ending in '-ieren'. These verbs are always regular, inseparable, and form the past participle without 'ge-'. So it is 'kombiniert', not 'gekombiniert'.
EXAMPLE
Gestern hat sie die Farben perfekt kombiniert.
Yesterday she combined the colors perfectly.
Sentence structure with 'mit'
When you connect things with each other, you use the fixed structure 'etwas (Akkusativ) mit etwas (Dativ) kombinieren' (to combine something with something).
EXAMPLE
Ich kombiniere meinen Urlaub gerne mit einem Sprachkurs.
I like to combine my vacation with a language course.
Logical deduction
In this meaning, it is about a thought process. Often a subordinate clause with 'dass' follows, containing the conclusion. You often hear it in crime stories: 'Der Kommissar kombiniert, dass ...' (The detective deduces that ...).
EXAMPLE
Sie beobachtete ihn genau und kombinierte, dass er etwas zu verbergen hatte.
She observed him closely and deduced that he had something to hide.
Compare with
kombinieren vs verbinden
to connect / to bandage
Both words describe using several elements together. verbinden places more emphasis on the connection created between the elements, while kombinieren emphasizes selecting suitable elements and how they work together. Use verbinden for a concrete connection and kombinieren for a meaningful combination.
kombinieren
Die Techniker kombinieren die beiden Bauteile zu einem passenden System.
The technicians combine the two components to form a suitable system.
verbinden
Die Techniker verbinden die beiden Bauteile zu einem festen System.
The technicians connect the two components to form a solid system.
In real life
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