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produzieren
to produce
To manufacture products or goods, usually on an industrial scale in a factory.
example
Dieses Werk produziert täglich mehr als 500 Fahrzeuge.
This plant produces more than 500 vehicles every day.
produzieren
to produce
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Verbs ending in '-ieren'
'Produzieren' (to produce) is a typical verb ending in '-ieren'. These verbs often come from other languages, but they are very regular in German. They always form the past participle without 'ge-' (produziert) and the simple past with '-te' (produzierte).
EXAMPLE
Die Firma hat letztes Jahr eine Million Smartphones produziert.
The company produced one million smartphones last year.
Context clues
You can recognize the exact meaning of 'produzieren' (to produce) from the object. If it refers to goods (cars, clothing), it means industrial manufacturing. With media (film, music), it means creating. With abstract things (electricity, trash), it means 'erzeugen' (to generate).
EXAMPLE
Das neue Kraftwerk produziert saubere Energie.
The new power plant produces clean energy.
Reflexive verb
In the meaning 'sich in den Vordergrund spielen' (to push oneself into the spotlight), 'produzieren' (to produce) is always reflexive. The reflexive pronoun ('sich') is necessary for this meaning and cannot be left out.
EXAMPLE
Hör auf, dich hier so zu produzieren, das ist peinlich!
Stop showing off like that here; it's embarrassing!
Register and style
The expression 'sich produzieren' (to show off) is colloquial and has a negative connotation. It describes someone who seeks attention in a boastful or embarrassing way.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Feier hat er sich mal wieder vor allen Leuten produziert.
At the party, he showed off in front of everyone yet again.
Compare with
produzieren vs aufnehmen
to record / take in
'aufnehmen' and 'produzieren' can both occur in the context of music, film, or videos. 'aufnehmen' mainly refers to the technical step: sound or images are recorded with a device. 'produzieren' is broader and often refers to the whole process of creating a media work, including planning, organization, recording, and editing. Learners may confuse the words because both happen with a film or song. As a practical rule: the camera records, but a team produces the film.
produzieren
Die kleine Firma produziert einen Podcast über Reisen und Kultur.
The small company produces a podcast about travel and culture.
aufnehmen
Für das Schulprojekt nimmt Tom heute ein kurzes Video mit dem Handy auf.
For the school project, Tom is recording a short video with his phone today.
In real life
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