niederbrennen
to burn down
To be completely destroyed by fire; to burn down to the foundations.
EXAMPLE
Die alte Scheune ist nach einem Blitzeinschlag komplett niedergebrannt.
The old barn burned down completely after being struck by lightning.
niederbrennen
to burn down
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Meanings
etwas niederbrennen
to burn something down
To deliberately set something on fire with the aim of destroying it completely.
EXAMPLE
Die feindlichen Truppen brannten bei ihrem Rückzug das ganze Dorf nieder.
As they retreated, the enemy troops burned the whole village down.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Niederbrennen' (to burn down) is a separable verb. The prefix 'nieder-' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Das alte Lagerhaus brannte vollständig nieder.
The old warehouse burned down completely.
Word structure
The verb is made up of the prefix 'nieder-' (which means 'downward') and 'brennen' (to burn). The meaning 'to burn down to the ground' is therefore quite literal.
EXAMPLE
Innerhalb einer Stunde brannte die Holzhütte nieder.
Within an hour, the wooden hut burned down.
Auxiliary verb: sein vs. haben
The correct auxiliary verb depends on the meaning. When something burns down by itself (a change of state), you use 'sein'. When someone deliberately sets something on fire (an action), you use 'haben'.
EXAMPLE
Das unbewohnte Haus ist letzte Nacht niedergebrannt.
The unoccupied house burned down last night.
Typical collocations
The verb is often used with adverbs like 'vollständig' (completely), 'komplett' (completely), or the phrase 'bis auf die Grundmauern' (down to the foundations) to emphasize total destruction.
EXAMPLE
Das Museum brannte bei dem Feuer bis auf die Grundmauern nieder.
The museum burned down to its foundations in the fire.
Compare with
niederbrennen vs abbrennen
to burn down / set off
Abbrennen and niederbrennen can both refer to the complete destruction of a building by fire. Abbrennen often describes the result neutrally, while niederbrennen places greater emphasis on complete and often deliberate destruction. Therefore, abbrennen is suitable for a neutral report, while niederbrennen is more appropriate when the destructive action is emphasized.
niederbrennen
Die Angreifer brannten das alte Lagerhaus in der Nacht vollständig nieder.
The attackers burned the old warehouse to the ground during the night.
abbrennen
Das alte Lagerhaus brannte in der Nacht vollständig ab.
The old warehouse burned down completely during the night.
In real life
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