sättigen
to satisfy
To satisfy someone's hunger so that he or she feels full.
EXAMPLE
Die kräftige Suppe sättigte die ganze Familie.
The hearty soup satisfied the whole family.
sättigen
to saturate / satisfy
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Meanings
sättigen
to saturate
In a figurative sense, to fully satisfy a need, desire, or market.
EXAMPLE
Der Markt für einfache Smartphones ist inzwischen vollständig gesättigt.
The market for basic smartphones is now completely saturated.
sättigen
to saturate
In chemistry, it means to enrich a solution with a substance to the point where it can no longer absorb any more of that substance.
EXAMPLE
Um eine gesättigte Salzlösung herzustellen, muss man so lange Salz ins Wasser geben, bis es sich nicht mehr auflöst.
To make a saturated salt solution, you have to keep adding salt to the water until it no longer dissolves.
sättigen
to saturate
In color theory or image editing, to increase the intensity and purity of a color so that it appears brighter and stronger.
EXAMPLE
Mit der neuen Software kann man die Farben des Fotos ganz einfach sättigen.
With the new software, you can easily saturate the colors of the photo.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'sättigen' (to satisfy/saturate) is closely related to the adjective 'satt' (full). If something 'sättigt' you, you feel 'satt' afterward.
EXAMPLE
Ein Apfel allein sättigt mich nicht für lange Zeit.
An apple alone doesn't satisfy me for very long.
Sentence structure
In the meaning 'Hunger stillen' (to satisfy hunger), the verb is transitive. The food that makes someone full is the subject, and the person who becomes full is the accusative object.
EXAMPLE
Diese kleine Mahlzeit wird dich kaum sättigen.
This small meal will hardly satisfy you.
Context clue: business
In the figurative sense, you can recognize the meaning from objects related to business. Typical combinations are 'den Markt sättigen' (to saturate the market) or 'den Bedarf sättigen' (to satisfy demand).
EXAMPLE
Irgendwann ist der Markt für diese Produkte gesättigt.
At some point, the market for these products is saturated.
Context clue: chemistry
This meaning is limited to a scientific context. You can recognize it from words like 'Lösung' (solution), 'Wasser' (water), or 'Flüssigkeit' (liquid).
EXAMPLE
Man muss die Lösung mit dem Farbstoff sättigen, um ein gutes Ergebnis zu erzielen.
You have to saturate the solution with the dye to achieve a good result.
Context clue: color
When 'sättigen' (to saturate) is used in the visual field, the objects are typically 'die Farben' (the colors), 'ein Foto' (a photo), or 'ein Bild' (an image). The context is usually image editing, photography, or art.
EXAMPLE
Ich finde das Bild schöner, wenn du die Farben noch etwas sättigst.
I think the image is nicer if you saturate the colors a bit more.
Compare with
sättigen vs stillen
to breastfeed / satisfy
Stillen and sättigen both refer to bringing hunger to an end. With stillen, the focus is on the hunger itself, usually in the fixed expression „Hunger stillen“. Sättigen places more emphasis on the person and the result of feeling full.
sättigen
Die warme Suppe sättigte mich schnell.
The warm soup quickly filled me up.
stillen
Die warme Suppe stillte schnell meinen Hunger.
The warm soup quickly satisfied my hunger.
In real life
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