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The verbs schmerzen, schaden, weh tun, and verletzen

In German, there are common verbs that you will hear in relation to pain and injury, but also certain colloquial expressions. 

 

Ist jemand verletzt?

Is anyone injured?

Caption 35, Deutsch für Anfänger: #10 Notfall

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Wer städtisches Recht verletzt hatte, flüchtete zum Domnapf.

Anyone who had violated municipal laws fled to the Domnapf.

Caption 40, Jenny zeigt uns: den Speyerer Dom

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When the focus is really on the pain, the best verb to use is weh tun (the spelling wehtun is also accepted).

 

Es tut weh. -Der Arzt schaut sich das gleich an.

It hurts. -The doctor will examine it in just a moment.

Caption 13, Nicos Weg: Beim Arzt

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Sie tun mir weh!

You're hurting me!

Caption 2, Die Pfefferkörner: Abi um jeden Preis

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With the verb schaden, the emphasis is really on damage. Below you can also see that the German counterpart of the common English phrase "It can't hurt" utilizes schaden.

 

Doch ist für Experten wie Schmolz noch völlig offen, ob die Papageien den heimischen Vogelarten schaden.

But indeed, for experts, like Schmolz, it still remains an open question, whether or not the parrots are damaging the native bird species.

Captions 19-20, Freilebende Papageien: Überwintern in Wiesbaden

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Ein wenig neugierig zu sein kann manchmal gar nicht schaden.

Sometimes, indeed, it can't hurt to be a little curious.

Caption 88, Märchen: Sagenhaft Der Zauberlehrling

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Just as die Verletzung means "the injury" and der Schaden means "the damage," der Schmerz is the main German word for pain. Like weh tun, the verb schmerzen is typically used to describe physical pain.

 

Da Lisas Fuß am Abend immer noch sehr schmerzte, entschlossen wir uns, die Nacht an diesem schönen Platz [entschlossen, Infinitiv: entschließen] unter Bäumen zu verbringen.

Since Lisa's foot still hurt a lot in the evening, we decided to spend the night in that beautiful place [decided, infinitive: to decide] under some trees.

Captions 11-13, Deutsch mit Eylin: Urlaub im Präteritum

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Further Learning
You'll find many examples like this on Yabla German.

Sehen, schauen, and kucken

We have "to see," "to watch," and "to look" in English, but there are even more verbs in German, and the meanings are often prefix-dependent. In German, the three verbs/verb roots are sehen, schauen, and gucken / kucken. Gucken or (more commonplace) kucken is slang and is more popular in northern Germany, whereas schauen is slang in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. To gain an understanding of how these verbs are used, it's best to look at various examples and see how added prefixes affect the meaning.

Below, you can see examples of these three verbs without any prefixes.

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Die anderen Tiere sind im Winter leider nicht draußen zu sehen.

The other animals are unfortunately not to be seen outside in the winter.

Caption 20, Berlin - Domäne Dahlem

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Wo sehen Sie sich selbst in zehn Jahren?

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Caption 55, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch

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Hast du schon im Schrank geschaut? -Ja.

Have you already looked in the closet? -Yes.

Caption 4, Nicos Weg - Vorm Fahrradladen

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Ich bin runter und habe geguckt, war aber nichts.

I went down and looked, but there was nothing.

Caption 28, Rheinmain im Blick - Erdbeben in Südhessen

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Based on these examples, you might come to the conclusion that sehen is always translated as "to see" and schauen and kucken are translated as "to look." However, this is simply not the case. It is instead the prefixes that reliably determine the translations. As you see below, sich etwas anschauen and sich etwas ansehen both mean "to (take/have a) look at something," as does sich etwas ankucken.

 

Und einen Brauch wollen wir uns heute ansehen.

And we want to take a look at one of these customs today.

Caption 6, Eva erklärt - den Adventskalender

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Zuerst schauen wir uns einige Farben an.

First, we will look at some colors.

Caption 6, Eva erklärt - Farben

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Der Arzt schaut sich den Fuß jetzt erst mal an.

First, the doctor will take a look at your foot.

Caption 5, Nicos Weg - Beim Arzt

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Kuckt euch diese alte Kamera an.

Look at this old camera.

Caption 21, Drei Leute - beim Kofferpacken

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The phrases mal sehen, mal schauen, and mal kucken are essentially synonyms and can mean either "let's have a look at" or "let's see," depending on the context. 

 

Mal schauen, wie weit die Cannelloni sind.

Let's see how far along the cannelloni are.

Caption 41, Cannelloni - mit Jenny

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Mal kucken, was die anderen Jugendlichen hier im Jugendforum so treiben.

Let's see what the other young people here in the Youth Forum are up to.

Caption 10, Rheinman in Blick - Nachhaltigkeit

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Aussehen and ausschauen both refer to a person's appearance. Note: It is not possible to say auskucken in this context!

 

Du siehst gut aus.

You look good.

Caption 3, Weihnachtsmann gesucht - Bist du verliebt?

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Also, er hat mich gefragt: „Wie möchtest denn...

Well, he asked me: "How would you then like...

Herr Otto, wie möchtest denn ausschauen?“

Mr. Otto, how would you like to look then?"

Caption 9, Otto Waalkes - Friseur

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The verb "to watch" is most often translated as zusehen or zuschauen

 

Auf den Besuchertribünen kann jeder den Abgeordneten bei der Arbeit zusehen.

On the visitors' stands, everyone can watch the representatives at work.

Caption 23, Berlin - Hauptstadt des vereinten Deutschland

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Vielen Dank fürs Zuschauen.

Thank you for watching.

Caption 27, Eva - zeigt uns Kleidungsstücke

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When it comes to watching television or a film, there are various expressions involving all three verbs.

 

Am Freitag sehe ich fern.

On Friday, I will watch television.

Caption 17, Nicos Weg - Am Sonntag koche ich

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Wir haben viel zusammen gekocht und Filme gekuckt.

We often cooked together and watched films.

Caption 32, Fine - sucht eine Wohnung

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Wenn du den Fernseher anmachst, was schaust du?

When you turn on the television, what do you watch?

Caption 36, Peyman Amin - Der Modelmacher

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Further Learning
There are many, many examples of these verbs (sehensich etwas ansehen, zusehen, aussehen, and the slang versions) used in context on Yabla German. When you notice an incongruity between the two languages or an exception, make sure to take note of it.