verb
to limit, to restrict
B1
beschränken: regular (weak) verb meaning 'to limit' or 'to restrict'. Past participle 'beschränkt'; uses auxiliary 'haben'. Often transitive ('to limit something'); can appear reflexively ('sich beschränken auf' = 'to limit oneself to'). Not separable; imperative and passive formed regularly. Conjugation is regular.
Examples
Ich habe mich auf das Nötigste beschränkt.
I limited myself to the bare essentials.
Die Firma beschränkt den Zutritt zur Baustelle aus Sicherheitsgründen.
The company limits access to the construction site for safety reasons.
Die neue Regelung beschränkt die Nutzung des Parkplatzes auf Anwohner.
The new regulation restricts parking to residents only.
Details
Mnemonics
imagine drawing a smaller box inside a larger one to show a limit being set
sounds a bit like 'be-shrank-en' — think of 'shrink' to limit something
Notes
Commonly used in both literal and abstract contexts (e.g., limiting amounts, rights, or access).