die  Berührung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/bəˈʁyːʁʊŋ/

🖐️ What does "die Berührung" mean?

Die Berührung (noun, feminine) describes the act of physical or emotional contact between people, objects, or concepts. It has several nuances:

• Physical contact: Directly touching or grazing a person or object. Example: Eine sanfte Berührung der Hand (a gentle touch of the hand).
• Emotional contact/Being touched: An inner movement or feeling triggered by something. Example: Die Musik löste eine tiefe Berührung in ihr aus (The music deeply touched her / caused a deep emotional response in her).
• Point of contact/Interface: The point where two things meet or influence each other. Example: Die erste Berührung mit der deutschen Sprache (The first contact with the German language).
• Brief mention: Casually addressing a topic. Example: Seine Rede enthielt nur eine kurze Berührung des Problems (His speech only briefly touched upon the problem).

🚨 The word almost exclusively uses the article "die" because it ends in "-ung", which typically indicates feminine nouns in German.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🔍 Grammar in Detail: Die Berührung

The noun "Berührung" is feminine.

Example Sentences

• Die sanfte Berührung ihrer Hand beruhigte ihn. (The gentle touch of her hand calmed him down.)
• Er erinnerte sich kaum noch des Moments der ersten Berührung. (He barely remembered the moment of the first touch.)
• Mit dieser Berührung wollte er Trost spenden. (With this touch, he wanted to offer comfort.)
• Er vermied jede Berührung mit dem nassen Lack. (He avoided any contact with the wet paint.)
• Selbst kleine Berührungen können viel bedeuten. (Even small touches can mean a lot.)

🗣️ How to use "Berührung"?

"Die Berührung" is used in various contexts:

• Interpersonal: Often related to affection, comfort, or accidental contact (e.g., eine liebevolle Berührung - a loving touch, eine flüchtige Berührung - a brief touch in a crowd).
• Technical/Physical: Describing contact between objects (e.g., Berührungspunkt zweier Linien - point of contact between two lines).
• Abstract/Figurative: When coming into contact with a topic, idea, danger, or culture (e.g., erste Berührung mit der Philosophie - first encounter with philosophy, in Berührung mit dem Gesetz kommen - to come into contact with the law). Also used for emotional reactions (e.g., von der Geschichte tief berührt sein - to be deeply touched by the story - here using the participle, but the meaning is related).

Distinguishing from similar words:

• Kontakt: Often more general or technical (e.g., elektrischer Kontakt - electrical contact, Kontakt aufnehmen - to establish contact). Can sometimes be used synonymously.
• Anrührung: Similar, but often carries a stronger emotional component or sense of solemnity, used less frequently.
• Tuchfühlung: Means very close contact, often figuratively (e.g., auf Tuchfühlung gehen - to get up close and personal).

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Berührung"

Article Mnemonic: Words ending in -ung in German are almost always feminine (die). Think of the ending -> die Berührung. Imagine a woman (die Frau) gently touching (Berührung) something.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone giving you a gentle touch that makes you go "Ooh!" - Be-RÜHR-ung. It sounds a bit like "rue-rung", reminding you of the emotional rue or feeling that a touch can evoke.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Caution: Words like "Rührung" (being moved emotionally, often to tears) sound similar but have a different meaning from the physical "Berührung" (touch).

😄 A Little Joke

German: Fragt der Physiklehrer: "Was passiert, wenn zwei Körper in Berührung kommen?"
Schüler: "Dann sagen sie meistens 'Entschuldigung!'"

English Translation: The physics teacher asks: "What happens when two bodies come into contact (Berührung)?"
Student: "Usually, they say 'Excuse me!'"

✍️ Poem about Berührung

German:
Ein Hauch nur, leicht und zart,
Eine Berührung, selt'ner Art.
Sie kann verbinden, trösten, heilen,
Lässt Seelen kurz zusammen weilen.
Ob Hand auf Haut, ob Geist zu Geist,
Was Nähe schafft, ist meistens leis'.

English Translation:
Just a breath, light and tender,
A touch, of a rare kind to render.
It can connect, console, and heal,
Lets souls briefly together feel.
Whether hand on skin, or mind to mind,
What creates closeness is mostly kind (and quiet).

❓ Riddle

German:
Ich kann sanft sein oder fest,
Verbinde oft, was sich sonst lässt.
Manchmal bin ich nur ein Hauch,
Manchmal Auslöser für Rauch (bei Elektrik!).
Ich kann trösten, kann auch warnen,
Kann Freundschaften oder Ärger bahnen.

Was bin ich?
(Lösung: die Berührung)

English Translation:
I can be gentle or firm,
Often connect what might otherwise squirm.
Sometimes I am just a breeze,
Sometimes the trigger for smoke, if you please (with electrics!).
I can comfort, I can also warn,
Can pave the way for friendships or scorn.

What am I?
(Answer: die Berührung / touch)

💡 Other Information

Word Formation (Wortbildung):

• The word "Berührung" derives from the verb "berühren" (to touch).
• The prefix "be-" often indicates that an action is directed towards an object or that something is being provided with something.
• "rühren" originally means "to move".
• Combined: roughly "to meet/reach something through movement".

Trivia: The German term "Berührungsangst" literally means "fear of touch" (haphephobia), but it's also commonly used figuratively to describe a reluctance to deal with difficult topics or people.