verarmen
to become impoverished
To become poor; to have less and less money and property available.
EXAMPLE
Durch die jahrelange Arbeitslosigkeit ist die Familie verarmt.
The family became impoverished after years of unemployment.
verarmen
to become impoverished
verarmen – verarmte – ist verarmt
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Meanings
verarmen
to become depleted
To lose diversity, substance, or valuable components.
EXAMPLE
Durch den Einsatz von Pestiziden verarmt die Tierwelt auf den Feldern.
The use of pesticides is depleting wildlife in the fields.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry verarmen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | verarme |
|---|---|
| du | verarmst |
| er/sie/es | verarmt |
| wir | verarmen |
| ihr | verarmt |
| sie | verarmen |
Simple past
| ich | verarmte |
|---|---|
| du | verarmtest |
| er/sie/es | verarmte |
| wir | verarmten |
| ihr | verarmtet |
| sie | verarmten |
Perfect
with sein
| ich | bin verarmt |
|---|---|
| du | bist verarmt |
| er/sie/es | ist verarmt |
| wir | sind verarmt |
| ihr | seid verarmt |
| sie | sind verarmt |
Commands
| du | verarm! verarme! |
|---|---|
| ihr | verarmt! |
| Sie | verarmen Sie! |
Past perfect
| ich | war verarmt |
|---|---|
| du | warst verarmt |
| er/sie/es | war verarmt |
| wir | waren verarmt |
| ihr | wart verarmt |
| sie | waren verarmt |
Future
| ich | werde verarmen |
|---|---|
| du | wirst verarmen |
| er/sie/es | wird verarmen |
| wir | werden verarmen |
| ihr | werdet verarmen |
| sie | werden verarmen |
Subjunctive I
| ich | verarme |
|---|---|
| du | verarmest |
| er/sie/es | verarme |
| wir | verarmen |
| ihr | verarmet |
| sie | verarmen |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | verarmte |
|---|---|
| du | verarmtest |
| er/sie/es | verarmte |
| wir | verarmten |
| ihr | verarmtet |
| sie | verarmten |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | verarmen |
|---|---|
| with zu | zu verarmen |
| present participle | verarmend |
| past participle | verarmt |
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Verarmen' (to become impoverished) consists of 'ver-' and 'arm' (poor) and is an inseparable verb. In the perfect tense, it is formed with 'sein' (to be) because it describes a change of state.
EXAMPLE
Viele Menschen sind nach der Wirtschaftskrise verarmt.
Many people became impoverished after the economic crisis.
Register and style
'Verarmen' (to become impoverished) is used especially in factual, political, and economic texts. It usually describes a development that continues over a longer period and is often used with expressions such as 'zunehmend' (increasingly) or 'immer mehr' (more and more).
EXAMPLE
Die Region verarmt zunehmend, weil viele Betriebe schließen.
The region is becoming increasingly impoverished because many businesses are closing.
Typical causes
When referring to people or families, 'verarmen' (to become impoverished) is often used with causes such as unemployment, illness, excessive debt, or an economic crisis. The cause is often introduced with 'durch' (because of / through) or 'infolge' (as a result of).
EXAMPLE
Infolge einer langen Krankheit ist der Handwerker verarmt.
The craftsman became impoverished as a result of a long illness.
Context clue
When the subject refers to soil, a landscape, wildlife, a language, or a culture, the sentence concerns the loss of diversity or valuable components. The sentence often also states what something is becoming depleted of.
EXAMPLE
Der Boden verarmt an wichtigen Nährstoffen.
The soil is becoming depleted of important nutrients.
Durch die Bebauung verarmt die Landschaft an Lebensräumen.
The landscape is losing habitats as a result of development.
In real life
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