German word

Bremse

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbʁɛmzə/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbrake

Example

Die Bremse am Auto ist kaputt.

The brake on the car isn't working.

Illustration for Bremse (brake)

More examples

Beim Stau muss man oft auf die Bremse treten.

In a traffic jam, one often has to step on the brake.

Core concept

A device or force that stops movement, from a car's wheel brake to a restraint on action; Bremse also names a horsefly.

Common phrases

  • auf die Bremse treten

    step on the brake

  • Bremse lösen

    release the brake

  • Handbremse anziehen

    pull the handbrake

Similar words

Bremspedal: A driver's pedal that applies the vehicle's braking force.
Handbremse: A hand-operated device used to keep a parked vehicle stationary.
Bremsbelag: A thin friction part that presses against a disc or drum to stop rotation.

Definition in German

Ein Nomen, das sowohl ein mechanisches Bremssystem als auch im übertragenen Sinn eine Hemmung oder Einschränkung bezeichnet.

Word origin

Bremse for 'brake' derives from bremsen, whereas the horsefly sense descends from Old High German bremo, an older Germanic noun.

Usage tips

  • Bremse is feminine, so the definite article is die and the plural is Bremsen; context distinguishes the plural noun from the verb form bremsen.

Other meanings

  • horseflynoun
  • restraintnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • bremsenbrakeverb
  • Bremswegbraking distancenoun
  • Bremslichtbrake lightnoun

Word lists with this word