German word

betroffen

Pronunciation

IPA/bəˈtrɔfən/

Meaning

  • adjectiveaffected

Example

Viele Menschen sind von der Flut betroffen.

Many people were affected by the flood.

Illustration for betroffen (affected)

More examples

Er wirkte nach der Nachricht sehr betroffen.

He seemed very upset after the news.

Core concept

An event hits a person or community and leaves its situation or feelings changed.

Common phrases

  • von etwas betroffen sein

    be affected by ___

  • stark betroffen sein

    be severely affected

  • sichtlich betroffen sein

    be visibly upset

Similar words

beeinträchtigt: Unable to function fully because health or daily abilities have been impaired.
beeinflusst: Changed in thoughts or actions by an outside force or information.
bestürzt: Deeply shaken by an event, with strong sadness, shock, or confusion.

Definition in German

Durch ein Ereignis oder einen Umstand in der eigenen Situation oder im Gefühlsleben beeinflusst sein.

Word origin

Betroffen is the adjective formed from the past participle of betreffen, a verb built with be- and treffen, whose basic sense is 'hit' or 'strike'.

Usage tips

  • Betroffen commonly takes von plus the dative, as in 'von der Flut betroffen', while betreffen takes a direct accusative object.

Other meanings

  • perplexedadjective
  • surprisedadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word