konsumieren
to consume
To use up goods or make use of services. This includes buying and using products.
EXAMPLE
In der Weihnachtszeit konsumieren die Menschen besonders viel.
During the Christmas season, people consume especially heavily.
konsumieren
to consume
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Meanings
konsumieren
to consume
To take in food or drinks; to eat or drink something.
EXAMPLE
Es wird empfohlen, täglich mindestens zwei Liter Wasser zu konsumieren.
It is recommended to consume at least two liters of water daily.
konsumieren
to consume
To take in and process media content such as films, music, news, or books.
EXAMPLE
Jugendliche konsumieren heute viele Inhalte über soziale Medien.
Young people today consume a lot of content through social media.
konsumieren
to consume
To take drugs or other intoxicating substances.
EXAMPLE
Er wurde verhaftet, weil er in der Öffentlichkeit Drogen konsumierte.
He was arrested because he was consuming drugs in public.
Usage tips
Sentence structure
'Konsumieren' (to consume) is a transitive verb and almost always requires an accusative object. Always ask yourself: What is being consumed?
EXAMPLE
Er konsumiert am liebsten deutsche Filme.
He prefers to consume German films.
Register and style
The word 'konsumieren' (to consume) often sounds more formal or detached than everyday verbs. It is frequently used in economic, sociological, or official contexts.
EXAMPLE
Der Bericht analysiert, wie viel Energie private Haushalte konsumieren.
The report analyzes how much energy private households consume.
Context: food & drink
When it comes to eating and drinking, 'konsumieren' (to consume) is very formal or technical, e.g. in nutritional counseling. In normal conversation, you use 'essen' (to eat) or 'trinken' (to drink).
EXAMPLE
Der Patient sollte nach der Operation nur flüssige Nahrung konsumieren.
After the operation, the patient should consume only liquid food.
Typical collocations
In connection with media, 'konsumieren' (to consume) is used very frequently. Typical combinations are 'Nachrichten konsumieren' (to consume news), 'Medien konsumieren' (to consume media), 'Serien konsumieren' (to consume series), or 'Inhalte konsumieren' (to consume content).
EXAMPLE
Ich konsumiere meine Nachrichten fast nur noch online.
I consume my news almost exclusively online now.
Context: drugs
In the meaning 'Drogen nehmen' (to take drugs), 'konsumieren' (to consume) is often used in official warnings, police reports, or medical texts. It is a neutral, factual description.
EXAMPLE
Das Gesetz verbietet es, an diesem Ort Drogen zu konsumieren.
The law prohibits consuming drugs in this place.
Compare with
konsumieren vs aufnehmen
to record / take in
When referring to media, aufnehmen emphasizes mentally taking in and processing specific information or content. Konsumieren more generally refers to using films, music, news, or books. Use aufnehmen for the response to the content and konsumieren for consuming media as an activity.
konsumieren
Sie konsumiert den Podcast auf dem Weg zur Arbeit.
She listens to the podcast on her way to work.
aufnehmen
Sie nimmt die Argumente des Podcasts aufmerksam auf.
She is paying close attention to and absorbing the podcast’s arguments.
In real life
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