How do you say use in German?

German has so many words for "use." Nutzen, nützen, benutzen, benützen, verwenden, gebrauchen, anwenden all say "use" in the dictionary. What is the difference between all these words that mean use in German? Ich gebrauche eine Gesichtmaske. Ich wende sie…

Been to vs. gone to: what is the difference?

This pair of been to or gone to is really confusing, and that is okay. I understand why people mix them up. If someone has another native language like French, it is probably the same thing. In English, however, we…

How to use “over” correctly in English

I've gotten a lot of questions about over in English. It has so many uses, but they are all so different. It can change part of speech, and with each change it has an unpredictably different meaning. What are those…

Accidentally or inadvertently: what is the difference?

These two words, accidentally or inadvertently, are really similar, so I completely understand if you get confused by them. After explaining the differences between so many words, I can tell when learners will have trouble understanding nuances. Most likely these…

Apporter vs amener: What is the difference?

This pair, apporter or amener, is the bane of plenty of French learners, myself included. According to the dictionary, they are the same thing, but they are used very differently. However, there are some patterns you can notice that helps…

Fight vs fight with: What is the difference?

Fight vs fight with is confusing. I will admit it as a native speaker. This pair gets used incorrectly a lot. I've noticed many learners use "fight" when they meant "fight with," and "fight with" when they meant "fight." What…

Believe vs. believe in: What is the difference?

I believe in you, my love! "Believe" and "believe in" are really close but different. A native speaker intuitively knows when to use which, but this is a nightmare for learners. As you may know, phrasal verbs have no connection…