bringen vs mitbringen
German word comparison
Listen to bringen
Listen to mitbringen
| bringen | mitbringen |
|---|---|
BRING-en verb | mɪtˈbʁɪŋən verb |
| to bring; to carry or deliver something to someone or somewhere | to bring along (to bring something with you to a place or event) |
How they differ
Mitbringen specifically indicates bringing something along with you to the place where you are going (accompanied by the bringer); bringen does not specify whether the item is brought along by the person or delivered by someone/something else.
When to use each
When to use bringen: Prefer bringen when you simply state that something is being brought or delivered, without emphasizing that the bringer will accompany it.
When to use mitbringen: Prefer mitbringen when you ask or say that someone should bring something with them to an event, meeting, or visit (emphasizes accompaniment).
Side-by-side examples
- Bring bitte etwas zu trinken für die Party.
(Please bring something to drink for the party.) - Kannst du etwas zu trinken mitbringen?
(Can you bring something to drink (with you)?)
Register & nuance: Mitbringen is neutral and very common in spoken and written German; it is more specific than bringen but equally informal/formal depending on context.