German word

trennen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtrɛnən/

Meaning

  • verbdivide

Example

Ich trenne die Wäsche in helle und dunkle Teile.

I divide the laundry into light and dark items.

Illustration for trennen (divide)

More examples

Wir trennen den Müll in Papier und Plastik.

We sort the waste into paper and plastic.

Core concept

A line or bond between two sides is broken so that they no longer form one unit.

Common phrases

  • Müll trennen

    sort waste

  • Papier trennen

    sort paper

  • Verbindung trennen

    disconnect a connection

Similar words

sortieren: To arrange things by type, purpose, or other shared features.
teilen: To divide something among several people so each receives a share.
aufteilen: To divide a whole into several parts or groups.
sich trennen: To end a relationship and go separate ways.

Definition in German

Zwei Dinge oder Gruppen voneinander losmachen oder klar voneinander abgrenzen

Word origin

The modern verb trennen continues Old High German trennan and Middle High German trennen, inherited from an older Germanic verb for separating.

Usage tips

  • The reflexive form sich trennen often describes ending a relationship or parting, while transitive trennen acts directly on a thing being divided or detached.

Other meanings

  • partverb
  • detachverb
  • separateverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word