Speichern

Speichern is a German verb meaning to store, to save, or to preserve. It covers both physical storage and the saving of data or information, as well as broader notions such as conserving energy or resources. The exact sense depends on context, with common uses in daily language and technical settings.

In computing, speichern is widely used to describe persisting data or files. Typical phrases include eine Datei speichern (to save a file) and Daten speichern (to store data). Software often offers Funktionen like Auto-Speichern or automatisches Speichern (auto-save) to retain changes. In this domain, das Speichern also relates to memory or storage hardware, with Speicher referring to memory (RAM) or storage devices.

Beyond digital contexts, speichern can describe the physical storage of objects or energy. For example, Dinge in einem Lager speichern (to store things in storage) or Energie speichern (to store energy). In technical discussions, terms such as Speicher (storage/memory) and Speicherung (the act of storing) are used to distinguish between hardware and processes.

Grammatically, speichern is a regular verb. Present tense forms include ich speichere, du speicherst, er speichert, wir speichern, ihr speichert, sie speichern. The perfect tense is formed with haben: ich habe gespeichert. Related nouns include Speicherung (the act of storing) and Speicher (storage/memory). The verb is often contrasted with sichern, which emphasizes securing or backing up rather than general storage.