German Word of the Day
brauchen
BRAU-chen • verb — 11th of Jun, 2026
Listen to pronunciation
Meaning: to need; to require
Examples
- Ich brauche mehr Zeit.
(I need more time.) - Wir brauchen Milch und Brot vom Supermarkt.
(We need milk and bread from the supermarket.) - Sie braucht jetzt eine Pause.
(She needs a break now.)
Synonyms
Click a synonym to see how it compares to brauchen.
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 →
Brauchen is used to express necessity with nouns (Ich brauche Geld) and in some structures with verbs. For actions, negative forms commonly use brauchen + zu + infinitive (informal): Du brauchst nicht zu kommen = You don't need to come. In affirmative sentences for verbs Germans more often use müssen (Ich muss gehen) rather than brauchen. Conjugation example: ich brauche, du brauchst, er/sie braucht; perfect: habe gebraucht.
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