German word

spüren

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃpyːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbfeel

Example

Ich spüre die Kälte.

I feel the cold.

Illustration for spüren (feel)

More examples

Ich spüre sofort, dass er mir vertraut.

I immediately feel that he trusts me.

Core concept

A fingertip, ear, or instinct registers a small change that ordinary attention might miss.

Common phrases

  • Vertrauen spüren

    feel trust

  • Sympathie spüren

    feel sympathy

  • Neugier spüren

    feel curiosity

Similar words

fühlen: Directly experience a bodily sensation or inner feeling.
merken: Become aware of a change or event.
bemerken: Notice something and make that awareness explicit.
empfinden: Experience an inner emotion or impression.

Definition in German

körperliche Empfindungen oder subtile Eindrücke wahrnehmen und registrieren

Word origin

The modern verb spüren developed from the Old High German form spuorōn, which belongs to the same word family as Spur, 'trace'.

Usage tips

  • Spüren normally takes an accusative object, as in Ich spüre die Kälte, rather than a dative object.

Other meanings

  • senseverb
  • noticeverb

Related words

Word lists with this word