A comprehensive overview of the German verbs “bringen” and “holen,” explaining their meanings, usage, and examples.
This article explains the difference between the two German verbs “bringen” and “holen,” both of which involve moving objects but from different perspectives.
- bringen = to bring (carry something to a place/person)
- holen = to fetch/get (go and get something and bring it back)
- Usage depends on the direction of movement and point of reference
Bringen means “to bring” — carrying or transporting something toward a person or place.
Holen means “to fetch” or “to get” — going to a place, picking something up, and then usually bringing it back.
- bringen focuses on the action of delivering or taking something to someone
- holen focuses on going to retrieve or collect something
- The key difference is the direction of movement relative to the speaker’s or listener’s location
Use bringen when the object is moving toward the person speaking or the location being considered the “destination.”
Use holen when someone goes to another place to get something and then bring it back.
- Bringen: “Kannst du mir das Buch bringen?” (Can you bring me the book?)
- Holen: “Ich hole das Buch aus dem Zimmer.” (I’m fetching the book from the room.)
- Context determines which verb fits: Who is moving? Where?
Bringen:
- Ich bringe dir einen Kaffee. (I’m bringing you a coffee.)
- Kannst du das Paket zur Post bringen? (Can you take the package to the post office?)
- Sie bringt ihren Laptop mit. (She’s bringing her laptop along.)
Holen:
- Ich hole dir einen Kaffee. (I’m fetching/getting you a coffee.)
- Kannst du das Paket von der Post holen? (Can you fetch the package from the post office?)
- Er holt seinen Laptop aus dem Büro. (He’s getting his laptop from the office.)
- bringen = take/bring something to a person or place (movement toward the destination)
- holen = go get/fetch something from somewhere and bring it back
- The difference is about perspective and direction of movement
- Using the wrong verb can change the meaning or sound unnatural
Both bringen and holen are regular verbs in the present tense. Here are their conjugations:
| German Pronoun | bringen Example | holen Example | bringen English | holen English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | ich bringe | ich hole | I bring | I fetch/get |
| du | du bringst | du holst | you bring | you fetch/get |
| er/sie/es | er bringt | sie holt | he/she/it brings | she/it fetches/gets |
| wir | wir bringen | wir holen | we bring | we fetch/get |
| ihr | ihr bringt | ihr holt | you (pl.) bring | you (pl.) fetch/get |
| sie/Sie | sie bringen | Sie holen | they/you bring | they/you fetch/get |
Example Sentences:
- Ich bringe dir das Buch. (I’m bringing you the book.)
- Ich hole dir das Buch. (I’m fetching you the book.)
Flashcards (1 of 6)
- bringen Example: ich bringe
- holen Example: ich hole
- bringen English: I bring
- holen English: I fetch/get
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
