variieren
to vary
To differ or occur in different forms or versions.
EXAMPLE
Die Preise für Hotelzimmer variieren stark je nach Saison.
The prices for hotel rooms vary greatly depending on the season.
variieren
to vary
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Meanings
variieren
to vary
To intentionally change or modify something in order to create variety.
EXAMPLE
Sie können das Rezept variieren, indem Sie statt Mandeln Nüsse verwenden.
You can vary the recipe by using nuts instead of almonds.
Usage tips
Verbs ending in '-ieren'
Verbs ending in '-ieren' often come from other languages and are always regular. They form the past participle without 'ge-'. So it is 'hat variiert' (has varied).
EXAMPLE
Der Koch hat das klassische Rezept etwas variiert.
The cook varied the classic recipe a little.
With or without an object
'Variieren' can be used with or without an accusative object. Without an object, it means that things are different by themselves. With an object, it means that someone actively changes something.
EXAMPLE
Die Meinungen zu diesem Thema variieren stark.
Opinions on this topic vary greatly.
Typical collocations
When something differs by itself, 'variieren' is often used with words such as 'Preise' (prices), 'Größen' (sizes), 'Temperaturen' (temperatures), or 'Qualität' (quality). Common adverbs are 'stark' (greatly), 'leicht' (slightly), or 'je nach' (depending on).
EXAMPLE
Die Qualität der Produkte kann von Hersteller zu Hersteller variieren.
The quality of the products can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Sentence structure with 'je nach'
To indicate the reason for a variation, the construction 'je nach' (depending on) followed by a noun in the dative is often used.
EXAMPLE
Die Lieferzeiten variieren je nach Bestimmungsort.
Delivery times vary depending on the destination.
Compare with
variieren vs verändern
to change
Verändern generally means making something different. Variieren usually means deliberately modifying something within several possible variations while keeping the basic plan or theme. For a general change, verändern is appropriate; when different versions are intended, variieren is the better choice.
variieren
Wir variieren den Plan für die verschiedenen Gruppen nur bei den Pausenzeiten.
We are varying the plan for the different groups only in terms of the break times.
verändern
Wir verändern den Plan, weil der Veranstaltungsort nicht mehr verfügbar ist.
We are changing the plan because the venue is no longer available.
In real life
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