frischen

Frischen is a German verb that denotes making something fresh again, refreshing, or reviving. In modern usage it largely appears in compounds with the prefix auf-, especially in auffrischen, meaning to refresh, brush up, or revive knowledge, skills, memories, or supplies. The bare infinitive frischen is rarely used on its own in standard language; speakers typically use auffrischen or synonyms such as erneuern or aktualisieren depending on context.

Common examples include: Ich muss mir mein Wissen auffrischen. Wir sollten die Vorräte auffrischen. In computing and digital contexts, speakers more often say die Seite aktualisieren or use the Anglicism refreshen, rather than frischen alone.

Etymology and scope: the verb is derived from the adjective frisch (fresh). Historically, frischen as a standalone verb appeared in older forms of German, but in contemporary language its use is largely confined to the prefixed form auffrischen or to idiomatic expressions. The phrase frischen Wind in etwas bringen is common, but in that case frischen is the attributive form of the adjective frisch, not the verb.

Related terms include Frische (the noun meaning freshness), Auffrischung (a noun for the act of refreshing or brushing up), and Auffrischen (the verb form connected to refreshment). For further details, see the German Wiktionary entry on frischen.