brauchen vs bedürfen
German word comparison
Listen to brauchen
Listen to bedürfen
| brauchen | bedürfen |
|---|---|
/BRAU-chen/ verb | /bəˈdʏʁfn̩/ verb |
| to need; to require | to need; to require (formal, typically takes a genitive object) |
How they differ
Bedürfen is more formal and often government/legal/literary in tone; grammatically it normally takes the genitive (or a prepositional phrase) rather than a direct accusative object, so its syntax differs from brauchen.
When to use each
When to use brauchen: Prefer brauchen for normal spoken requests and everyday needs.
When to use bedürfen: Prefer bedürfen in formal, written, or legal contexts, or when using the genitive construction (e.g., 'etwas bedarf + Genitiv').
Side-by-side examples
- Wir brauchen deine Hilfe.
(We need your help.) - Wir bedürfen deiner Hilfe.
(We require your help.)
Register & nuance: Bedürfen is formal, somewhat literary or legal; less frequent in colloquial speech and often used with the genitive.