konsumiere

Konsumiere is the first-person singular present indicative form of the German verb konsumieren, meaning to consume or to use up. It also occurs as the Konjunktiv I (present subjunctive) form for ich in indirect speech. In everyday direct speech, people typically use ich konsumiere; konsumiere is most often encountered in reported speech or formal writing, where the Konjunktiv I form is used to relay someone’s statement.

Origin and meaning: The verb is derived from the noun Konsum, which denotes consumption, and ultimately from the Latin consumere, via French consommer. The basic sense covers using up resources, purchasing goods, or ingesting substances, and it can extend to the consumption of media, energy, or time.

Usage and nuance: In modern German, konsumiere is relatively rare outside indirect speech. The standard indicative is ich konsumiere, and the imperative forms are konsumier (singular) or konsumiert (plural). The Konjunktiv I form konsumiere is used in writing to report speech, for example: Er sagt, ich konsumiere zu viel. The term appears in discussions of consumption patterns, consumer behavior, sustainability, and related topics; common compounds include Konsum, Konsumverhalten, und Lebensmittelkonsum.

See also: Konsum; Konsumverhalten; Lebensmittelkonsum; Medienkonsum.