Interessieren

Interessieren is a German verb that means to arouse interest or to concern someone, and it can also express being interested oneself. As a transitive verb it often takes a thing as the subject and a person as the receiver of the interest (das Thema interessiert mich). In reflexive use, sich interessieren means to be interested in something (ich interessiere mich für Musik). The noun form Interesser is less common; the related noun is das Interesse.

Usage and constructions

In the transitive sense, das X interessiert jdn. is common: Das Thema interessiert mich. The subject X can be a noun or a clause, and the person who is interested appears in the accusative (mich, dich, ihn, uns, euch, sie). The past tense can be formed with haben: Das Thema hat mich interessiert; or the simple past: Das Thema interessierte mich.

In the reflexive sense, the standard pattern is sich interessieren für + Akkusativ: Ich interessiere mich für Geschichte. The corresponding past is Ich habe mich für Geschichte interessiert. Both forms are widely used; the choice depends on whether the focus is on the object of interest or on the interest itself.

Other common formations include Interesse haben an + Dativ (to have an interest in): Ich habe Interesse an Kunst. Interesse wecken, Interesse zeigen and related phrases are frequent in media and business writing: Der Bericht weckt Interesse; Sie zeigte Interesse an dem Projekt.

Etymology and usage notes

Interesse is borrowed from French intéresser, ultimately from Latin interesse. In German, interesting (interessant) is an adjective derived from the same root. The verb is versatile, appearing in everyday speech as well as formal contexts.