I. Theory
German features a wide array of Latin-based verbs. These verbs tend to be recognizable to English speakers [ex: ruinieren, operieren, realisieren]. Generally, these verbs have a Germanic-based equivalent, however they often have at least a slight difference in meaning:“-ieren” verb | Meaning | Germanic Verb | Meaning |
| realisieren | to realize (a dream, vision) | festellen | to come to understand |
| observieren | to stake out | beobachten | to observe |
| lancieren | to launch (a project) | abfeuern | to fire off |
II. Commonly Seen -ieren Verbs
This lesson will focus on the following -ieren verbs: kritisieren, reparieren, identifizieren, and produzieren.Kritisieren
| Das neue Buch des Autors wurde stark kritisiert. The author’s new book was harshly criticized. Die Zeitungen kritisieren die Aktionen der Politiker. The newspapers criticize the politicians’ actions. |
Reparieren
| Bis das Auto repariert ist, darfst du nirgendwohin fahren. You can’t drive anywhere until the car is fixed. Wie viel kostet es, meinen Computer reparieren zu lassen. How much would it be to have my computer fixed? |
Identifizieren
| Die Polizei versuchte, den Straftäter zu identifizieren. The police tried to identify the criminal. Bei dieser Übung müssen die Schüler alle Fehler im Text identifizieren. In this exercise the students must identify all errors in the text. |
Produzieren
| In Frankreich wird eine große Menge Käse produziert. A large of amount of cheese is produced in France. Das Land produziert viele Güter und exportiert sie ins Ausland. The country produces many goods and exports them abroad. |