verbrannt

Verbrannt is the past participle of the verb verbrennen in German and functions as an adjective meaning “burnt” or “burned.” It describes something that has undergone burning or has been consumed by fire. As a participle it can also appear in simple past clauses with the auxiliary haben, as in Ich habe das Brot verbrannt.

Grammar and usage

Verbrannt can be used attributively, with the noun it modifies taking appropriate agreement, for example verbranntes Holz (burned wood), verbrannter Kuchen (burnt cake), or verbrannte Erde (scorched earth). It can also occur predicatively after sein, as in Der Baum ist verbrannt (The tree is burned). With reflexive verbs, it is used as sich verbrennen, as in Ich habe mir die Finger verbrannt (I burned my fingers). The phrase verbrennen takes a prefix ver- and forms a verbal family with related forms such as sich verbrennen or etwas verbrennen.

Common collocations and nuances

verbranntes Holz and verbrannte Erde are common noun phrases describing material that has been burned or scorched. Burnt coffee, bread, or meat are typical examples in everyday language: verbrannter Kaffee, verbranntes Brot, verbranntes Fleisch. The term concentrates the result of burning rather than the act itself, which is expressed by verb verbrennen or verb sich verbrennen.

Occasional use as a title or thematic label

In German-language media and literature, Verbrannt may appear as a title or thematic descriptor, often signaling destruction, aftermath, or guilt. It is not tied to a single canonical work but rather used for evocative effect in various contexts.

See also

Burning in German: verbrennen; related adjectives: verbranntes, verbrannter; phrases: verbrannte Erde.