German Conversation · Level 175
29 words
German word
schonen
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈʃoːnən/
Meaning
- verbtreat gently
Example
Ich schone mein neues Fahrrad.
I treat my new bike gently.
More examples
Beim Fahren sollte man den Motor schonen, indem man sanft beschleunigt.
While driving, you should treat the engine gently by accelerating smoothly.
Core concept
A delicate object or a limited reserve is handled so carefully that damage and unnecessary use are avoided.
Common phrases
Ressourcen schonen
save resources
den Motor schonen
treat the engine gently
seinen Körper schonen
go easy on his body
Similar words
entlasten: Ease a burden or reduce the amount of work required.
schützen: Guard against danger, harm, or damage.
pflegen: Look after something so its condition stays good.
sparen: Limit consumption to prevent unnecessary waste.
Definition in German
etwas vor Schaden oder Verschleiß bewahren oder Kräfte und Ressourcen einsparen.
Word origin
Schonen comes from Middle High German schōnen and Old High German scōnōn, related to the Germanic adjective behind schön, 'beautiful'.
Usage tips
- With a person, schonen can mean to spare someone or to take it easy, as in sich schonen after illness; it is not the same as schon, 'already'.