All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| sorgen | worry reflexively; provide or ensure with für | concern and practical care | Regular: hat gesorgt; sich sorgen um, sorgen für + accusative. |
| besorgen | get; obtain; attend to | shopping, tickets and practical tasks | Inseparable; besorgte, hat besorgt; accusative item or task. |
| versorgen | supply; provide care | people, communities and practical needs | Inseparable; versorgte, hat versorgt; accusative recipient, mit + dative. |
| entsorgen | dispose of waste; clear waste from | rubbish and discarded materials | Inseparable; entsorgte, hat entsorgt; accusative waste or site. |
sorgen
Meaning and usage: Sorgen changes meaning with its construction. Sich um jemanden sorgen is emotional concern. Für jemanden sorgen is taking care of them. Sorgen für can also describe bringing about a result, such as a joke creating a good atmosphere.
Grammar: Regular, nonseparable: sorgt, sorgte, hat gesorgt. Worrying uses an accusative reflexive pronoun and um + accusative. Providing or ensuring uses für + accusative; a dass-clause follows dafür when stating an outcome.
Ich sorge dafür, dass alle den Raum finden.
I make sure that everyone finds the room.
besorgen
Meaning and usage: Besorgen often means getting something that is needed, through buying, arranging or otherwise obtaining it. It can also mean handling a task. It does not imply a particular supply method: someone can arrange a taxi without purchasing the taxi.
Grammar: Regular and inseparable: besorgt, besorgte, hat besorgt. Take an accusative object; a dative recipient is optional: jemandem etwas besorgen. In ich besorge mir etwas, mir is dative.
Kannst du mir für morgen eine Fahrkarte besorgen?
Can you get me a ticket for tomorrow?
versorgen
Meaning and usage: Versorgen focuses on ensuring that a person or place receives necessary resources or care. You can supply information, feed animals or tend an injury. Provision can be temporary or ongoing.
Grammar: Regular and inseparable: versorgt, versorgte, hat versorgt. Supply someone or something (accusative) mit + dative. Use an accusative reflexive pronoun for supplying yourself: sich mit etwas versorgen.
Die Helfer versorgen die Besucher mit Trinkwasser.
The helpers provide the visitors with drinking water.
entsorgen
Meaning and usage: Entsorgen commonly names disposal of waste. It can also take a site as its object, meaning removing its waste. The word alone does not establish an environmentally appropriate method.
Grammar: Regular and inseparable: entsorgt, entsorgte, hat entsorgt. The disposed-of waste is accusative. A location or method may be added, but there is no obligatory preposition for the basic construction.
Wir entsorgen die leeren Verpackungen getrennt vom Restmüll.
We dispose of the empty packaging separately from general rubbish.
Overlap and context
Sorgen für and versorgen overlap in practical care. Besorgen identifies obtaining something, while versorgen identifies supplying or caring for a recipient. Choose according to the action and object.
Common mistakes
- Ich sorge um dich is incomplete for worrying: use Ich sorge mich um dich.
- Besorgen is not always buying; it can include arranging or handling.
- Versorgen a person and entsorgen waste are very different actions. Do not exchange them because the spellings resemble each other.
Memory aid: Sorgen: concern or care. Besorgen: get it. Versorgen: provide it. Entsorgen: discard it.
Try it
Complete: Die Bibliothek ___ Lernende mit aktuellen Informationen.
Show the answer
versorgt
The learners are the recipients of supplied information.