bringen vs tragen
German word comparison
Listen to bringen
Listen to tragen
| bringen | tragen |
|---|---|
BRING-en verb | ˈtʁaːgən verb |
| to bring; to carry or deliver something to someone or somewhere | to carry or bear (physically support weight) or to wear (clothes, accessories) |
How they differ
Tragen emphasizes the physical act of carrying or bearing weight (or wearing something), whereas bringen emphasizes moving or delivering something to a destination and does not inherently highlight the physical effort.
When to use each
When to use bringen: Prefer bringen when the focus is on moving or delivering an item to a place or person, regardless of how it is moved.
When to use tragen: Prefer tragen when you want to stress that someone is physically carrying or bearing the item (e.g., heavy objects, on the body).
Side-by-side examples
- Er bringt die Einkäufe nach Hause.
(He brings/takes the groceries home.) - Er trägt die Einkäufe nach Hause.
(He carries the groceries home.)
Register & nuance: Tragen is neutral and describes physical action; both tragen and bringen are common in everyday speech, but tragen is used when the manner (carrying) matters.