01
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
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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 nehmen
to take
'nehmen' and 'konsumieren' can both mean that you take something into your body, for example a drink, food, or certain substances. 'nehmen' is much more natural in everyday language, especially with medicine: you take a tablet. 'konsumieren' sounds more formal and is often used when talking about behavior, health, or statistics. With drugs or alcohol, 'konsumieren' can sound more neutral and factual. For normal everyday sentences, 'nehmen', 'essen' (to eat), or 'trinken' (to drink) is usually more natural.
konsumieren
Viele Jugendliche konsumieren weniger Alkohol als früher.
Many young people consume less alcohol than they used to.
nehmen
Nach dem Frühstück nimmt Max seine Tablette.
After breakfast, Max takes his tablet.
In real life
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