German Conversation · Level 153
30 words
German word
brüten
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈbʁyːtən/
Meaning
- verbincubate
Example
Das Huhn brütet die Eier im Nest.
The hen is incubating the eggs in the nest.
More examples
Er brütet seit Tagen über den Vorschlag.
He has been brooding over the proposal for days.
Core concept
A hen keeps something close and warm for a long time, as if an egg or an idea must slowly develop.
Common phrases
über etwas brüten
brood over ___
die Eier brüten
sit on the eggs
Similar words
nachdenken: Quiet, focused consideration of a matter.
überlegen: Thinking through several methods or reasons to determine the best choice.
grübeln: Persistently dwelling on a troubling problem with growing distress.
ausbrüten: Working out a plan or idea in secret over time.
Definition in German
Eier durch Körperwärme warm halten, bis zum Schlüpfen; übertragen: lange über etwas nachdenken oder an einer Idee arbeiten.
Word origin
Brüten is an inherited Germanic verb related to English brood; its original sense involved hatching eggs, and sustained thinking developed as a figurative sense.
Usage tips
- The figurative construction commonly uses über, as in über einem Problem brüten, for prolonged thought focused on a subject.
Other meanings
- ponderverb
Opposites
- entscheidenmake a decisionverb
Related words
- brütendbroodingadjective
- Brutbroodnoun
- ausbrütendeviseverb