German Word of the Day
brauchen
BRAU-chen • verb — 9th of Apr, 2026
Listen to pronunciation
Meaning: to need; to require
Examples
- Ich brauche ein Glas Wasser.
(I need a glass of water.) - Du brauchst deinen Ausweis, um die Tür zu öffnen.
(You need your ID to open the door.) - Viele Leute brauchen im Winter warme Kleidung.
(Many people need warm clothes in winter.)
Synonyms
- benötigen
- nötig haben
Conjugation
| Person | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | brauche | brauchte |
| du | brauchst | brauchtest |
| er/sie/es | braucht | brauchte |
| wir | brauchen | brauchten |
| ihr | braucht | brauchtet |
| sie/Sie | brauchen | brauchten |
See all 6 tenses of brauchen →
Use brauchen to express necessity or requirement; it takes a direct object (accusative). In everyday speech brauchen is common, while benötigen is more formal. In negative statements you can say 'brauchen nicht zu + infinitive' to mean 'do not need to' (e.g. 'Du brauchst nicht zu kommen' = 'You don't need to come').
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