gegen

Based on: gen
Goethe A1 Preposition
  1. against
  2. around
1.

against

Opposite: für
(take Accusative)
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Examples
  • Wenn die Schwerkraft Deutsch lernen müsste, wäre sie auch gegen Fälle.
  • If gravity had to learn German, it would be against cases, too.(it's funny in German, I promise)
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2.

around

(ONLY in context of time of day.)
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Examples
  • Ich komme gegen um 9.
  • I'll come toward/around 9.
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Word Family

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Sources for Etymology:

My Articles

German Prepositions Explained – “gegen”

A fun look at the meaning of "gegen" and why its many useful related words sometimes seem to have contradictory meanings.

Vocab: gegen, entgegen, dagegen, gegenseitig, der Gegner, begegnen, der Gegenstand, gegenüber, die Gegend, entgegnen

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Questions and Comments

Do you have questions about the usage or meaning of “gegen”? Just ask here and I’ll try to clear it up.

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2 Comments
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johnathanflaker
johnathanflaker

is there an adverb version of gegen meaning about/approx/around?
thanks

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Emanuel
Author
Emanuel
Reply to  johnathanflaker

Not really.
There’s “dagegen” but that’s very much about “against”.

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How many meanings does the German word 'gegen' have?

gegen has 2 distinct meanings: 1. against, 2. around.

What is 'gegen' related to?

The word 'gegen' is related to gen.

Where can I learn more about 'gegen'?

Here are some articles where you can learn more about 'gegen':

German Prepositions Explained – “gegen”
A fun look at the meaning of "gegen" and why its many useful related words sometimes seem to have contradictory meanings.
Vocab: gegen, entgegen, dagegen, gegenseitig, der Gegner, begegnen, der Gegenstand, gegenüber, die Gegend, entgegnen
Read article