“einsetzen” – Prefix Verbs Explained

Hello everyone,

and after almost two years of hiatus, today it’s time for the triumphant return of everyone’s favorite series… Prefix Verbs Explained.

Are you excited?!
Me neither.
So let’s get this over with quick and take a look at the meaning of

einsetzen

The base verb setzen is the German brother of to set, and on occasion, the two verbs do line up.
But not often enough to call them translations.
In my opinion, it’s better to think of setzen as the third one of the three German translations for to put. 

The other two options are stellen, which is roughly “to make stand”, and  legen, which is roughly “to make lie”. And those two have the majority of the market share.
But for some instances of placing, neither of those really fit and German uses setzen instead. Or its prefix versions, of course.

Now I know your brain is now like “Need rule, must have rule. Give rule! When rule?”  but it’s hard to give one because a lot just comes down to what happened to be idiomatic in a given context.
However …

what I can say is that setzen has an emphasis on a certain level of control while doing the placing.
Like… just think sitting down on a chair. There’s a fair bit of coordination happening and we can definitely stand up faster than we can sit down.
Or think of putting on glasses, which is aufsetzen in German. You need some level of dexterity for that.

Anyway, the key point is not to think of setzen as to set, but rather as to place, to put because that just captures it better.

And it’s the same for einsetzen. It can be the literal translation of to set in.

• Gegen Abend setzt leichter Regen ein.
• Toward the evening, slight rain will set in.
  
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But the main uses of einsetzen are about putting/placing something in somewhere.
That can be very literal, like placing an item into a socket.

• Das Einhorn setzt den Infinity-Stein in seinen Hufschuh ein.
• The unicorn puts/places/inserts the infinity stone into its Glhoofe™.
  (Gloofe is a registered trademark of the Glooves for Hoofs Ltd.)
  
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• Practice pronunciation – click once to start recording and again to stop

  

But what makes einsetzen an actually useful verb that’s worth knowing is the more abstract idea of “putting” some sort of resource into a situation.
Which is the secret behind why einsetzen is actually a translation to employ and even to use.

• Die Einhörner setzen dunkle Magie gegen die Eichhörnchen ein.
• The unicorns employ/use dark magic against the squirrels.
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• Practice pronunciation – click once to start recording and again to stop

  

• Viele Menschen würden gerne mitentscheiden, wie ihre Steuern eingesetzt werden.
• Many people would like to participate in the decision about how their taxes are being used.
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• Practice pronunciation – click once to start recording and again to stop

  

• Emanuel überlegt, wo er den Praktikanten am besten einsetzt.
• Emanuel ponders where to best use/put to work the intern.
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• Practice pronunciation – click once to start recording and again to stop

  

As you can see in the last example, einsetzen doesn’t only work for resources like items and energy. It also works for people.
Which brings us right over to the reflexive version sich (acc) einsetzen. Which basically means that you “put” yourself, your energy, your reputation up on the line for (or against) something, either by just speaking up or by doing continuous dedicated work.

• Maria setzt sich für Bürgerrechte ein.
• Maria actively supports civil rights.
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• Practice pronunciation – click once to start recording and again to stop

  

• “Ich wurde gefeuert… nur weil ich mich bei der Party für No-Pants-Mittwoch eingesetzt habe.”
  “Das war keine Party, das war ein Investor-Meeting!!”
• “I was fired… just because I spoke up for No-Pants-Wednesday at the party.”
  “It wasn’t a party, that was an INVESTOR meeting!!”
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• Practice pronunciation – click once to start recording and again to stop

  

This (sich) einsetzen in the sense of “putting” a resource “in” a situation is fairly common and I think you’ll see it sooner or later in daily life.
And the same goes for the noun der Einsatz. Which can be the effort or resource that you put up…