German word

wahren

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈvaːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbkeep

Example

Wir wahren die Ruhe im Raum.

We keep the room quiet.

Illustration for wahren (keep)

More examples

Bitte wahren Sie Abstand.

Please keep your distance.

Core concept

An invisible boundary stays intact because someone actively guards it.

Common phrases

  • wahren die Ruhe

    keep the peace

  • Abstand wahren

    keep your distance

  • wahren das Vertrauen

    preserve trust

Similar words

halten: Ensure that a condition or situation continues.
behalten: Hold on to something rather than give it up or lose it.
einhalten: Honor a rule, promise, agreement, or prescribed limit.
bewahren: Preserve something valuable from harm or disappearance.

Definition in German

etwas in einem Zustand lassen, ohne dass Regeln, Höflichkeit oder Vertraulichkeit verletzt oder preisgegeben werden

Word origin

Wahren is an inherited Germanic verb that developed in German from older forms related to the verb now found in bewahren.

Usage tips

  • Wahren is formal and commonly appears in combinations such as die Ruhe, den Abstand, or ein Geheimnis wahren.

Other meanings

  • protectverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Wahrungpreservationnoun
  • bewahrenpreserveverb
  • Bewahrungpreservationnoun

Word lists with this word