Looking up...
beruhigen
/bəˈʁuːɪɡn̩/
to calm down
Der Arzt versuchte, den Patienten zu beruhigen.
The doctor tried to calm the patient down.
general
To make someone feel calm or less anxious.
Sie sprach leise, um das Baby zu beruhigen.
She spoke softly to calm the baby.
Die Musik beruhigte seine Nerven.
The music calmed his nerves.
Often used with the preposition 'zu' (zu beruhigen).
general
To settle or stabilize something (e.g., a situation).
Die Regierung versuchte, die Lage zu beruhigen.
The government tried to calm the situation.
Can be used metaphorically for non-human subjects.
Collocations
jemanden beruhigento calm someone downsich beruhigento calm down (reflexive)die Lage beruhigento calm the situation
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive
Use 'sich beruhigen' for calming oneself and 'beruhigen' for calming others or situations.
Gold Rule
Preposition Usage
Always use 'zu' before the infinitive (e.g., 'versuchen zu beruhigen').
Word Origin
From Middle High German 'berūwigen' (to repent), from Old High German 'birouwīgan' (to repent, calm). The modern sense of 'to calm' emerged in the 18th century.
Usage Notes
The reflexive form 'sich beruhigen' (to calm oneself) is common. The verb is separable in some contexts (e.g., 'beruhigen' vs. 'beruhigen lassen').
Word Breakdown
be-
intensifier or causative prefix
prefix-ruhig
calm, quiet
root-en
verb-forming suffix
suffixDeutsch-Englisch Wörterbuch