kümmert

Kümmert is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb kümmern. The base verb means to take care of, to attend to, or to be concerned about. In standard use, kümmert appears in constructions with or without a reflexive pronoun, depending on the intended meaning.

In the reflexive sense, sich kümmern means to take care of or to look after someone or something. This is commonly used with a dative or accusative object: Sie kümmert sich um die Kinder. Das kümmert mich nicht is a typical example meaning “That doesn’t concern me.” The reflexive form is essential when the subject acts upon something for its own benefit or welfare.

Intransitive or transitive uses without reflexivity express concern or bother about a matter. The phrase etwas kümmert jdn. translates roughly as “something concerns someone” or “something bothers someone.” Examples include Das kümmert ihn. This sense highlights affective or cognitive engagement with a situation.

Conjugation highlights: present tense forms include ich kümmere mich, du kümmerst dich, er kümmert sich, wir kümmern uns, ihr kümmert euch, sie kümmern sich, with the formal Sie-kümmern-sich as well. The Präteritum uses kümmerte/kümmerte sich for all persons, and the past participle is gekümmert, as in Ich habe mich gekümmert.

Etymology traces the verb to Germanic roots in kümern/kümmern, with long-standing usage in both reflexive and non-reflexive constructions. Kümmert remains common in everyday German for expressing care, responsibility, and concern in a wide range of contexts.