wiederbringen

Wiederbringen is a German verb meaning to bring back again, typically to return something to its owner or to the place where it belongs after it has been borrowed, lost, or moved. It emphasizes the act of returning rather than merely relocating the item.

The verb is separable with the prefix wieder-: in present tense, the prefix moves to the end of the clause (Ich bringe es wieder; Du bringst es wieder; Er bringt es wieder). The past participle is wiedergebracht and is used with the auxiliary haben (Ich habe das Buch wiedergebracht). In subordinate clauses the participle form remains attached (dass ich es wiedergebracht habe).

Usage notes: wiederbringen is commonly used for returning items to their rightful owner or to the place where they belong. It is often contrasted with zurückbringen, which highlights bringing something back to a location rather than to a person. Wiederbringen is appropriate for borrowed objects, tools, or documents, and can also imply restoring an item to its previous state by bringing it back to its owner’s possession.

Examples: Ich bringe dir das Buch heute Abend wieder. Er hat die Unterlagen gestern wiedergebracht. Kannst du bitte das geliehene Spielzeug wiederbringen, wenn du fertig bist?

See also: zurückbringen, wiederherstellen. While verwandelt and synonyms exist in related contexts, wiederbringen specifically centers on returning something to its owner or rightful place, rather than merely moving it to a new location or restoring a condition.