fürchtet

Fürchtet is a form of the German verb fürchten, meaning to fear or to be afraid of something. In the present tense, it appears for er/sie/es (he/she/it fears) and for ihr (you plural). The full present tense conjugation is: ich fürchte, du fürchtest, er/sie/es fürchtet, wir fürchten, ihr fürchtet, sie/Sie fürchten.

Usage and constructions can vary. With a direct object, the verb means to fear something or someone: „Ich fürchte den Verlust“, „Wir fürchten die Folgen“. More commonly, one uses the reflexive or prepositional construction: „sich vor etwas fürchten“ to be afraid of something, e.g. „Ich fürchte mich vor Spinnen“, „Sie fürchtet sich vor Gewittern“. The verb can also introduce a subordinate clause: „Ich fürchte, dass wir verlieren könnten.“ This usage expresses worry about a future event or outcome.

Etymology and related terms: Fürchten derives from Old High German and is related to the noun Furcht (fear). It shares a Germanic origin with English equivalents such as fright and fear, reflecting a common Indo-European heritage of expressing fear or apprehension.

Usage notes: Fürchtet, like other forms of fürchten, conveys a sense of concern or dread that something bad may happen or that one is in danger. It is somewhat stronger than simply saying one is worried (sich Sorgen machen) and can appear in both concrete and abstract contexts. In everyday speech, the reflexive construction vor + Dative is a common and natural way to express being afraid. See also Furcht and Angst for related nouns describing fear or anxiety.