trocknen
to dry
To make something wet or damp dry by removing the moisture from it.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Duschen trockne ich mir die Haare mit dem Föhn.
After showering, I dry my hair with a hair dryer.
trocknen
to dry
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Meanings
trocknen
to dry
To become dry on its own; to lose moisture.
EXAMPLE
Häng die Wäsche auf, sie trocknet schnell in der Sonne.
Hang up the laundry; it dries quickly in the sun.
Tränen trocknen
to dry tears
To comfort someone who is crying.
EXAMPLE
Die Mutter versuchte, die Tränen ihres weinenden Kindes zu trocknen.
The mother tried to dry the tears of her crying child.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'trocknen' (to dry) is derived directly from the adjective 'trocken' (dry). When something 'trocknet' (dries), it becomes dry.
EXAMPLE
Die Farbe an der Wand ist endlich trocken.
The paint on the wall is finally dry.
Active vs. passive
This verb can be used in two ways. Either a person actively dries something (transitive with an accusative object), or a thing dries on its own (intransitive without an object).
EXAMPLE
Er trocknet das Geschirr ab.
He dries the dishes.
Auxiliary verb in the perfect tense
When something dries on its own, the perfect tense can be formed with both 'haben' and 'sein'. 'Sein' places more emphasis on the completed process and the state that has been reached.
EXAMPLE
Die Wäsche hat in der Sonne schnell getrocknet.
The laundry dried quickly in the sun.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'jemandem die Tränen trocknen' (to dry someone's tears) has a figurative meaning and means 'jemanden trösten' (to comfort someone). The person being comforted is in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Trennung haben ihre Freunde ihr die Tränen getrocknet.
After the breakup, her friends dried her tears.
Compare with
trocknen vs austrocknen
to dry out
Trocknen and austrocknen both describe the loss of moisture. Trocknen is the neutral term for something becoming dry; austrocknen emphasizes a complete, often harmful loss of water. Use trocknen when something dries normally and austrocknen when little or no moisture remains.
trocknen
Die Erde trocknet nach dem Regen in der warmen Sonne langsam.
The soil is slowly drying in the warm sun after the rain.
austrocknen
Die Erde trocknet bei dieser langen Hitze vollständig aus.
The soil dries out completely in this prolonged heat.
In real life
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