Verbreite

Verbreite is a form of the German verb verbreiten and may be encountered as either the first-person present tense form (ich verbreite) or the imperative singular form (Verbreite!). The core meaning of verbreiten is to spread, disseminate, or broadcast something, such as information, rumors, diseases, or physical substances.

Etymology and meaning. The verb verbreiten consists of the prefix ver- combined with breiten, which means to spread or lay out. The prefix ver- adds the sense of dissemination or propagation. In German, verbreiten is commonly used for actions that aim to make something known to a wide audience or to cause something to extend over an area.

Usage and forms. Verbreiten takes a direct object in the transitive sense: someone spreads something to others (die Neuigkeiten, Gerüchte, Informationen). The phrase “Verbreite die Nachricht!” commands a person to spread the news. In contrast, sich verbreiten is intransitive and means “to spread” in a more general, self-propagating sense: Die Nachricht verbreitete sich rasch. Verbreiten as a lexical family also covers dissemination through media, publishing, or word of mouth, while sich verbreiten emphasizes natural or gradual spread.

Examples:

- Ich verbreite die Neuigkeiten heute. (I am spreading the news today.)

- Verbreite die Informationen so schnell wie möglich. (Spread the information as quickly as possible.)

- Der Geruch verbreitete sich im ganzen Haus. (The smell spread throughout the house.)

See also. Related terms include verbreiten (to spread/disseminate), ausbreiten (to spread out, stretch), and sich ausbreiten (to spread, extend). Antonyms focus on containment or restriction, such as einschränken or begrenzen, depending on context.

Summary. Verbreite is primarily used to describe deliberate dissemination of something, with derivate forms appearing in multiple tenses and the imperative. It is common in journalism, politics, education, and everyday speech when addressing the spread of information or influence.