studieren
to study
To be enrolled at a university or college in order to earn an academic degree in a particular field.
EXAMPLE
Meine Schwester studiert Medizin in Heidelberg.
My sister is studying medicine in Heidelberg.
studieren
to study
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Meanings
studieren
to examine
To look at, read, or investigate something very carefully, precisely, and in detail in order to understand it.
EXAMPLE
Der Architekt studierte den Bauplan noch einmal ganz genau.
The architect examined the construction plan very carefully once again.
Usage tips
False friend
'Studieren' means to be enrolled at a university or college. It is not the same as the English 'to study' in every context. When you are studying for an exam or doing homework, German uses the verb 'lernen' (to learn/study).
EXAMPLE
Er studiert Informatik an der Technischen Universität.
He studies computer science at the Technical University.
Word family
The verb 'studieren' (to study) is the basis for a whole word family related to university. These include 'das Studium' (the course of study), 'der Student' and 'die Studentin' (the person who studies), as well as 'die Studie' (a scientific study).
EXAMPLE
Sein Studium hat insgesamt fünf Jahre gedauert.
His degree program took five years in total.
Sentence structure without an article
When saying which subject you study, normally no article is used. You say 'ich studiere Jura' (I study law), not 'ich studiere die Jura'.
EXAMPLE
Sie möchte nächstes Jahr Psychologie studieren.
She would like to study psychology next year.
Context clue
When 'studieren' has a concrete object that is not an academic subject, it means 'to look at closely' or 'to analyze'. You can recognize this meaning because the object is something that can be examined visually or textually.
EXAMPLE
Er studierte aufmerksam die Gesichter der Leute in der U-Bahn.
He carefully examined the faces of the people on the subway.
Compare with
studieren vs lesen
to read
Lesen and studieren can both mean engaging with a text in order to understand it. Lesen refers to the process in general, whereas studieren emphasizes especially careful and detailed engagement. Use lesen in normal situations and studieren when thorough examination and understanding are the focus.
studieren
Ich studiere den langen Vertrag, um jedes wichtige Detail zu verstehen.
I am studying the lengthy contract to understand every important detail.
lesen
Ich lese den kurzen Artikel, um die wichtigsten Informationen zu verstehen.
I am reading the short article to understand the most important information.
In real life
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