rühren

Rühren is a German verb that denotes moving a substance by turning or mixing with a utensil such as a spoon or whisk. The action is intended to distribute heat, dissolve ingredients, or combine components. Beyond cooking, rühren can also describe agitating liquids or mixtures in industrial, laboratory, or mechanical contexts, where keeping a uniform consistency is important.

In everyday usage, rühren is most closely associated with culinary tasks. Typical phrases include den Teig rühren, die Suppe rühren, or die Soße rühren. Verbs with prefixes add nuance: umrühren means to stir around or to re-stir, and durchrühren emphasizes thorough mixing. These prefixes are separable in the present tense (er rührt um; er rührt durch) and form their own past participles (umgerührt, durchgerührt).

Grammar and forms: rühren is a regular verb. Present tense forms are ich rühre, du rührst, er rührt, wir rühren, ihr rührt, sie rühren. The simple past is rührte, and the perfect tense is hat gerührt. Participles: gerührt (as part of the perfect), umgerührt, durchgerührt.

The noun das Rühren refers to the act of stirring itself, or to the process of stirring in a procedure or recipe. Figuratively, rühren can mean to move emotionally: etwas rührt jemanden, as in eine Geschichte rührt mich zu Tränen.

Related terms include mischen (to mix), verrühren (to mix together), unterrühren (to fold in), and das Rührwerk or Rührwerkzeug in technical contexts, which denote devices or tools used for stirring.