sich trennen
to separate
To end a romantic relationship or a marriage.
EXAMPLE
Nach vielen gemeinsamen Jahren haben sie sich überraschend getrennt.
After many years together, they separated unexpectedly.
trennen
to separate
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Meanings
trennen
to separate
To separate or sort different things from one another, especially waste for recycling.
EXAMPLE
In unserer Küche trennen wir sorgfältig Papier, Glas und Plastik.
In our kitchen, we carefully separate paper, glass, and plastic.
trennen
to separate
To physically divide something into two or more parts, for example by cutting or tearing.
EXAMPLE
Für das Rezept musst du das Eigelb vom Eiweiß trennen.
For the recipe, you have to separate the egg yolk from the egg white.
trennen
to disconnect
To interrupt a connection, for example an electrical connection or a telephone connection.
EXAMPLE
Bei einem Gewitter sollte man empfindliche Geräte vom Stromnetz trennen.
During a thunderstorm, you should disconnect sensitive devices from the power supply.
trennen
to separate
To distinguish mentally or organizationally between different areas or aspects.
EXAMPLE
Es fällt ihm schwer, Berufliches und Privates klar zu trennen.
He finds it hard to clearly separate work and private life.
Usage tips
Sentence structure and usage
The verb 'trennen' (to separate) is often used with the preposition 'von' and the dative to express what is being separated from what. It can also be reflexive ('sich trennen') or simply take an accusative object ('Müll trennen' — to separate waste).
EXAMPLE
Sie hat sich von ihrem Freund getrennt.
She separated from her boyfriend.
Reflexive use
When talking about the end of a relationship, the verb must be used reflexively: 'sich trennen' (to separate / to break up). The person you separate from is introduced with 'von + dative'.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich letzte Woche von seiner Frau getrennt.
He separated from his wife last week.
Typical collocation
In everyday life, the most common use is waste separation. The phrase 'den Müll trennen' (to separate the waste) means sorting waste by materials such as paper, glass, and plastic.
EXAMPLE
In Deutschland ist es üblich, den Müll zu trennen.
In Germany, it is common to separate waste.
Concrete example
A classic example of physical separation is 'Eier trennen' (to separate eggs). This means separating the egg yolk and the egg white from each other for a recipe.
EXAMPLE
Für dieses Dessert musst du zuerst drei Eier trennen.
For this dessert, you first have to separate three eggs.
Technical context
In technical contexts, 'trennen' (to disconnect) often means to interrupt a connection. Typical phrases are 'vom Strom trennen' (to disconnect from the power), 'vom Netz trennen' (to disconnect from the network/power grid), or 'die WLAN-Verbindung trennen' (to disconnect the Wi-Fi connection).
EXAMPLE
Bevor du das Gerät reparierst, musst du es vom Strom trennen.
Before you repair the device, you have to disconnect it from the power.
Abstract separation
This meaning refers to mentally distinguishing between concepts or areas of life. A very common phrase is 'Beruf und Privatleben trennen' (to separate work and private life).
EXAMPLE
Es ist wichtig, Fakten von persönlichen Meinungen zu trennen.
It is important to separate facts from personal opinions.
Compare with
trennen vs teilen
to share / divide
Teilen and trennen can both refer to creating separate parts. Teilen emphasizes dividing a whole into specific pieces or portions. Trennen places more emphasis on separating connected parts from one another.
trennen
Nora trennt die beiden Hälften vorsichtig an der vorgestanzten Linie.
Nora carefully separates the two halves along the perforated line.
teilen
Nora teilt das Blatt mit einem Schnitt in zwei Hälften.
Nora cuts the sheet into two halves with a single cut.
In real life
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