to compact / condense
Loading your saved state.
to compact
To make something more compact and solid through pressure or pressing. This can refer to materials such as soil, snow, or also gases.
Die Baumaschine verdichtet den Schotter für das Fundament.
The construction machine compacts the gravel for the foundation.
to thicken / intensify
To become denser, stronger, or more concrete. This is often used for fog or smoke, but also for suspicions or clues.
Der Verdacht gegen den Angeklagten verdichtete sich im Laufe der Ermittlungen.
The suspicion against the defendant intensified over the course of the investigation.
to condense
To summarize and compress information, a text, or a story down to the essentials.
Der Autor verdichtet in seinem Roman die Ereignisse von drei Jahren auf wenige Kapitel.
In his novel, the author condenses the events of three years into a few chapters.
The verb 'verdichten' (to compact/condense) derives from the adjective 'dicht' (dense/tight). The prefix 'ver-' here describes a process or change, meaning the process of making something dense or becoming dense.
Durch den Regen verdichtete sich die Erde auf dem Weg.
Because of the rain, the soil on the path became compacted.
This verb can be used transitively or reflexively, which changes the meaning. 'Etwas verdichten' means to actively make something more compact. 'Etwas verdichtet sich' means that something becomes denser by itself.
Ein Bauarbeiter verdichtet den Sand mit einer Rüttelplatte.
A construction worker compacts the sand with a vibrating plate.
In this meaning, 'verdichten' (to compact) is often used with building materials or natural substances. Typical objects are 'den Boden' (the ground/soil), 'den Schnee' (the snow), 'den Untergrund' (the subsoil/base), or 'das Erdreich' (the soil/earth).
Die Wanderer haben den Schnee mit ihren Schritten verdichtet.
The hikers compacted the snow with their steps.
The reflexive form 'sich verdichten' (to thicken/intensify) is used both for visible phenomena and for abstract ideas. People speak of fog that thickens, but also of clues or a suspicion that intensify or accumulate.
Die Hinweise, dass er der Täter war, verdichteten sich.
The clues that he was the perpetrator intensified.
In the context of texts and stories, 'verdichten' (to condense) means to reduce complex content to the essentials. You can condense 'Informationen' (information), 'eine Handlung' (a plot), or even 'die Atmosphäre' (the atmosphere) in a novel.
Die Regisseurin verdichtet die komplexe Romanvorlage zu einem 90-minütigen Film.
The director condenses the complex novel into a 90-minute film.
to summarize / group
Both verbs can make a text shorter. Zusammenfassen means briefly presenting its most important content. Verdichten places more emphasis on the compact, often especially concise form of the text. Zusammenfassen is suitable for a factual summary of the content, while verdichten is more suitable for strong linguistic compression.
Nina verdichtet den langen Bericht zu einer knappen, pointierten Seite.
Nina condenses the long report into a concise, pointed page.
Nina fasst den langen Bericht in fünf Sätzen zusammen.
Nina summarizes the long report in five sentences.
