German word

prägen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpʁɛːgən/

Meaning

  • verbshape

Example

Seine Kindheit hat ihn stark geprägt.

His childhood strongly shaped him.

Illustration for prägen (shape)

More examples

Das Festival hat den Ton der Stadt geprägt.

The festival set the tone of the city.

Core concept

A hard stamp leaves a lasting mark that gives an object its form and represents lasting influence on a person or idea.

Common phrases

  • den Ton prägen

    set the tone

  • eine Generation prägen

    shape a generation

  • den Charakter prägen

    shape character

Similar words

beeinflussen: To affect how someone thinks, behaves, or makes decisions.
formen: To give something a particular physical shape.
entwickeln: To gradually grow or change into a more developed state.

Definition in German

ein Objekt durch Abdruck oder Bearbeitung formen; übertragen: einen Begriff, Namen oder Charakter dauerhaft herausbilden

Word origin

German prägen developed from making a lasting impression by stamping or working a material, especially metal, and extended to lasting effects on traits and concepts.

Usage tips

  • For lasting influence, German commonly uses geprägt sein von + dative, as in "Er ist von seiner Kindheit geprägt."

Other meanings

  • coinverb
  • engraveverb
  • mintverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Prägungformationnoun

Word lists with this word