tangieren
to affect
To touch, concern, or matter to someone emotionally or personally. Often used in negative forms.
EXAMPLE
Deine Meinung tangiert mich überhaupt nicht.
Your opinion doesn't affect me at all.
tangieren
to affect / to touch
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
tangieren
to touch tangentially
In geometry: to touch a curve or surface at one point without cutting through it.
EXAMPLE
Die Gerade tangiert den Kreis in genau einem Punkt.
The straight line touches the circle tangentially at exactly one point.
Usage tips
Register
'Tangieren' (to affect/to touch) is a word used in elevated language. In everyday language, people would often use simpler verbs instead, such as 'betreffen' (to concern/affect), 'berühren' (to touch), or 'kümmern' (to matter/care).
EXAMPLE
Dieses Problem tangiert uns nur am Rande.
This problem affects us only marginally.
Sentence structure with accusative
The verb 'tangieren' (to affect/to touch) always requires a direct object in the accusative. It describes what or who is affected or touched by something.
EXAMPLE
Die neue Regelung tangiert viele Mitarbeiter.
The new regulation affects many employees.
Frequent negation
In the emotional meaning, 'tangieren' (to affect) is very often negated to say that something is a matter of indifference to someone. The phrase 'Das tangiert mich nicht' (That doesn't affect me / That doesn't bother me) is a typical expression.
EXAMPLE
Ob du kommst oder nicht, tangiert mich nicht im Geringsten.
Whether you come or not doesn't affect me in the slightest.
Context clue
You can recognize the geometric meaning from the context. If words like 'Kreis' (circle), 'Gerade' (straight line), 'Kurve' (curve), or 'Punkt' (point) appear in the sentence, the mathematical meaning is intended.
EXAMPLE
Zwei Kreise können sich in einem Punkt tangieren.
Two circles can touch tangentially at one point.
Compare with
tangieren vs betreffen
to concern / affect
„Betreffen“ neutrally indicates that something is relevant to a person or thing. „Tangieren“ emphasizes a more personal or emotional impact and is often used in negative statements. So „betreffen“ is usually the better choice when referring to the factual applicability of a rule.
tangieren
Die neue Regel tangiert mich persönlich kaum.
The new rule hardly affects me personally.
betreffen
Die neue Regel betrifft meine tägliche Arbeit direkt.
The new rule directly affects my daily work.
In real life
Loading video examples...