Genitive verb 'bedürfen' (to require)

bedürfen is an elevated verb meaning to require / to need. Unlike everyday brauchen, which takes the accusative, bedürfen takes a genitive object. It belongs to formal, often legal or essayistic register and is rarely heard in casual speech.

The pattern is simply: bedürfen + noun phrase in the genitive.

• Das bedarf keiner Erklärung. - That requires no explanation.
• Der Plan bedarf der Zustimmung des Aufsichtsrats. - The plan requires the supervisory board's approval.
• Solche Maßnahmen bedürfen einer sorgfältigen Begründung. - Such measures require careful justification.

Note the irregular present-tense form bedarf (not bedürft) in the third person singular.

Common mistakes:

• Using the accusative as with brauchen (wrong: Das bedarf keine Erklärung; right: keiner Erklärung).
• Confusing it with bedürftig (needy) - bedürfen is the verb, not the adjective.

'bedürfen' (to require) takes a genitive object.

Formal 'to require'; the object is in the genitive.

'bedürfen' (brauchen) verlangt ein Genitivobjekt.