01
kränken
to hurt
To hurt a person's feelings, insult someone, or humiliate them.
example
Mit deiner unbedachten Äußerung hast du sie tief gekränkt.
With your thoughtless remark, you deeply hurt her.
kränken
to hurt
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'kränken' (to hurt) is closely related to the adjective 'krank' (sick). To hurt someone in this sense means, metaphorically, to make their soul or feelings 'sick'.
EXAMPLE
Seine Kritik war so hart, dass sie mich wirklich gekränkt hat.
His criticism was so harsh that it really hurt me.
Sentence structure
'Kränken' (to hurt) is a transitive verb. The person whose feelings are hurt is always in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Ich wollte dich mit meiner E-Mail auf keinen Fall kränken.
I definitely didn't want to hurt you with my email.
Typical use
The participle 'gekränkt' (hurt/offended) is often used as an adjective or in the expression 'sich gekränkt fühlen' (to feel hurt/offended). You can also say that someone is 'tief gekränkt' (deeply hurt) or 'leicht gekränkt' (easily offended/slightly hurt).
EXAMPLE
Er reagiert nicht mehr auf meine Anrufe; ich glaube, er ist gekränkt.
He no longer responds to my calls; I think he's hurt.
Compare with
kränken vs nahe
near / close
'jemandem zu nahe treten' (to offend someone / overstep a boundary) and 'kränken' both have to do with hurt feelings. 'kränken' says directly that someone is emotionally hurt or offended. 'jemandem zu nahe treten' puts more emphasis on crossing a boundary, for example with a question that is too personal or an inappropriate remark. That can hurt someone, but it is not always meant as strongly. 'kränken' fits when the hurt is the main focus; 'zu nahe treten' fits when it is about a lack of respect or too much closeness.
kränken
Toms Bemerkung kränkt Lisa, obwohl er es nicht böse meint.
Tom's remark hurts Lisa, even though he doesn't mean any harm.
nahe
Ich wollte dir mit meiner Frage nicht zu nahe treten.
I didn't mean to offend you with my question.
In real life
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