berührt

Berührt is a German word that can function as the past participle of berühren or as an adjective meaning “touched” or “emotionally moved.” As the past participle, it forms the perfect tense with haben, for example: Der Arzt hat den Patienten berührt. In a figurative sense, it describes something that has caused an emotional effect, as in Ich bin von deiner Geschichte berührt.

Grammatically, berühren is a transitive verb meaning “to touch” physically. Its past participle berührt is used in finite tenses with haben. As an adjective or predicative complement, berührt can express an emotional state, as in Ich bin berührt. The construction von something (for example von dem Bericht) is often used to indicate what caused the feeling: Ich bin von dem Bericht berührt.

Etymology and cognates: berühren originates from be- plus rühren (to move, to touch). This reflects a broad semantic field that links physical contact with emotional influence. Related forms appear in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch beroeren and Swedish beröra, which share the sense of movement or touch that leads to an emotional response.

Usage and nuance: berührt covers both the physical act of touching and the subjective experience of being affected by something. In English, the meanings map to “touched” or “moved.” In literary and media contexts, the word is commonly used to express that a scene, gesture, or story has had a strong emotional impact.