Hello everyone,
and welcome to another episode of Prefix Verbs Explained. Have you ever wondered what a cucumber, a Blue Ray disc and an afternoon nap have in common? Good news then!! Today we’ll find out because we… what? Oh, you weren’t wondering? Oh.
Uhm… well, we’ll find out anyway because today we’ll take a look at the meaning of
einlegen
Ein is the prefix version of the preposition in and it expresses the idea of “into-ness”. Legen is the German version of to lay but it’s also used in a more general sense of (lay-like) putting.
So, it would make a lot of sense if the meaning of einlegen was to put in.
Well, believe it or not, it actually is.
But because that would be WAAAAY to easy, it’s only idiomatic for a few randomly selected contexts or group of things.
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The top translation for einlegen on dict.cc is to deposit which…surprised me a little, after reading this article. In English, for me, there’s only a few phrases/scenarios where deposit is really used. The obvious one is to deposit money into an account. I saw your comment below that einzahlen is the standard choice for that, while einlegen might be for an academic setting.
Other than that, there’s depositing coins into a machine, like at an arcade. And also “forming deposits,” often with some kind of liquid involved (e.g. The river deposited sediment from upstream.). Does einlegen work with either of those two scenarios or are other verbs better?
You really can’t rely on the order of items in a dictionary like dict.cc. It’s really only useful if you’re either
a) already good at the language so you can evaluate the results or
b) you do research with back translating and examples.
In this case, I don’t really know why deposit is there at all. Maybe as a “generic” word for “placing something”, but like you said, deposit is rather context dependent and “einlegen” would NOT work for “depositing money” and CERTAINLY not for putting coins into a machine (they fall, so the term is “einwerfen”).
For this and prefix verbs in particular I recommend my dictionary here or the browser extension or the webapp for the card game that’ll come out soon.
I’m a Kickstarter supporter, so I’ll look forward to the card game / app. :)
Perfect :)!
Now you’re like “Wait, is German really THAT crazy???” you tricked me. Yes, at this point i believed german could really be that crazy…..
Hahaha, wow, and you’re actually used to my nonsense :)
yes, walked right into that one ; )
Tagchen.
öfter mal – I noticed you have translated this as “every now and then”. I would have assumed “more often”. Is “öfter mal” more or less synomyous with the meanings of ab and zu or manchmal? I.e. öfter mal is actually nothing to do with increasing frequency? ?
öl- if i lightly spray some vegetable with oil before roasting, or just put them in a roast dish with a very thin layer of oil and toss them around so they are coated is this still einlegen?
To me “öfter mal” is a bit more often than “ab und zu” but they’re in the same category of “frequency”. It’s not “öfter” in the sense of comparison.
As for the second question, I would say no, that’s not “einlegen” because to me, the verb implies that the stuff then lies there for a while (days, weeks, months, years).
ok, cool! thanks
Cute joke with Slipeinlage! Not sure many got this…
i read some posts here speaking of ‘r-verb’, which suggets that there is a grammar category like that. Actualls it is only the short form of ‘herein’ (into) with the first two letters cancelled. This stresses the ‘direction’ aspect
You’re right that it’s not an established grammatical category or form but calling it just a shortened “her” is not doing it justice, in my opinion. That’s where it comes from , yes, but it has slowly become somewhat independent. For some verbs, in some phrasings the “her”-version would sound extremely weird. For instance “rübergehen” in context of streets.
– Ich bin bei Rot herübergegangen.
Or this:
– Du kannst die Jacke da (he)rüberlegen.
– Soll ich noch ein bisschen mehr Sahne (he)reinmachen? (cooking context)
Especially the last one sounds really really bad with the “her” .
The problem might be, that “her” does have a notion of toward the speaker which does not fit in contexts where a “there” has been established. “r” is more neutral in that regard and just signals some sort of directed movement.
And not even that’s universal because the r-version can also be a shortened “dr”-version which is a short “dar”-version.
– Ich streue noch ein bisschen Kakoa (d)rüber.
Sure, all these examples are colloquial but they’re “standard colloquial” not “slang colloquial” and that’s what I’m trying to teach here.
I chose to establish the r-version as a category because in practice it is distinct enough from “her”.
I really like the way you look at things, and your humor is very refreshing. :)
Your blog on “einlegen” made me think of when and where I had heard this word before. As a young American woman in the late 1960’s, I spent a summer with my cousins in Austria. I had a vision of my younger self and my cousins “setting” our hair with those big “brush rollers” or “curlers” (more generic term). My cousins called the curlers “Wickler” und “to set” was “einlegen.” I also remember hearing “einlegen” used for marinating food. Perhaps there is a connection between the two, I thought. One uses some sort of liquid in both processes ;-) But then, on the other hand, in English one can “set” jelly or concrete into different shapes using a mold. I also find it interesting that German speakers “lay” hair(s) (German cognate: legen), while American speakers “set” it (German cognate: setzen). But then the British “lay” the table; and Americans “set” the table. Hmmm!?
I’m an old woman and can remember yet another meaning for “einlegen” >> “to set” one’s hair. A Google search for “Haare einlegen” produced various images, which I tried to copy here, but alas was unsuccessful. :-( Is the word “einlegen” used today in any context concerning hair care?
Wow, diese Bedeutung höre ich zum ersten Mal. Interessant. Aber ich habe geguckt und es gibt auch Youtube Tutorials zum Haare richtig einlegen. Also benutzt man das heute wohl noch.
Hier ist übrigens der Link zur Bildsuche
https://www.google.de/search?q=%22haare+einlegen%22&rlz=1C1DVCJ_enDE430DE443&espv=2&biw=1093&bih=522&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_7oibuJfLAhVDYpoKHf66CZoQ_AUIBigB
Ist das nur für Lockenwickler oder ist die Bedeutung breiter?
Ich muss sagen: vielen, vielen Dank. Dein Blog hat mir so viel geholfen, dass ich meinen eigenen Kanal heißt “The Art of German” für YouTube gemacht habe. Wenn du Interessiert hast, hier ist der Link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC87WLm0IaVihJbsyrwH01jg
https://www.theartofgerman.com/
Wow, das Konzept ist echt interessant. So Kunst mit Sprache zu verbinden. Mach das unbedingt weiter, ich glaube das gefällt vielen.
Everybody reading this: CHECK OUT LANCE’S STUFF!!
One thing though… you should issue a warning that your German is not free of mistakes. That’s normal of course but the fact that you are using subtitles makes it seem rather official and many people might think it’s all proper German. So maybe a little disclaimer in the beginning.
Oh, sorry, Englisch…
Ein paar kleine Korrekturen:
In Englisch sagt man oft “the X called Y”. Diese Formulierung ist sehr praktisch, funktioniert aber in Deutsch nicht. Zumindest nicht mit “heißen”
– … meinen eigenen Kanal heißt “The Art of German”…
Das geht nicht, und du hattest den gleichen Fehler auch in einem Video. Wenn du “heißen” verwenden willst, dann musst du einen Relativsatz machen “… X, das/der/die Y heißt”. Aber besser ist “namens”
– … eigenen Kanal namens “The Art of German”
Der andere Fehler ist dieser hier:
– wenn du interessiert hast…
“interessiert” ist ein Adjektiv, und die hat man nicht, die ist man.
Wohnst du eigentlich länger in Berlin?
Thanks so much for your reply! Yes, that is a good idea. In the info for my channel I mention that I am American (I thought this was enough of a disclaimer on its own… hahah). I will find a way to make this more clear to my viewers, as I don’t want to muck up anyone’s German in the process :-)
And thanks so much for the tips! Very helpful.
My plan is to stay here in Berlin indefinitely, but who knows really. But at least I can say now for many more years to come.
I realise when I type too quickly this is when the flood of mistakes occur. I meant to write: Wenn es dich interessiert, hier ist der Link…
And the “heißt” thing… yes, that was some serious Denglisch creeping in.
Nebenbei, ich weiss (oder ich vermute), es gibt ein anderes Wort das in engem Zuzammenhang mit der letzten Bedeutung (to trick) von reinlegen steht, bzw reinfallen. Stimmt’s oder ich habe mich total geirrt? Und, wenn diese undeutliche Erinnerung richtig ist, kannst du mal mir erklaeren wIe dieses Verb gebildet wird und welche Praeposition dazu gehoert in der Satzbildung?
danke sehr
P.S.: Es waere sooooooo nett von dir all the ins and outs von einem Praefix wie rein klarzumachen : wenn es kommt zum Umgangssprache, sind die REIN VERBE normalerweise verwendet. Also, ich beziehe mich auf die REINBEISSEN, REINZIEHEN, Familie……
Deine Erinnerung ist total richtig. “reinfallen” ist quasi was die andere Seite macht.
– Thomas versucht Maria reinzulegen.
– Sie fällt auf ihn rein.
Und da hast du auch schon die Präposition. Es ist immer “auf” und ohne geht nicht wirklich, es sei denn in der Phrase “reingefallen!”. Die kann man anstatt “Reingelegt!” sagen. Der Fokus ist dann mehr auf der Schadenfreude als auf dem, was der “Reinleger” erreicht hat.
Bei der anderen Frage bin ich mir nicht sicher, was du wissen willst. Hilf mir mal.
Oh, eine Korrektur: “… bzw reingefallen”. Das ist total falsch. Du meinst “und zwar”. Wie ein Doppelpunkt.
Sigh! I have such a long way to go to be able to recognize German words as they are spoken. When I listen to “Ich lasse mich nicht so leicht reinlegen”, it sounds like the words “Ich” and “lasse” are spoken in just one syllable, sounding like “schlass”. Maybe it’s just my computer? I guess this is typical in everyday speech – some sort of a colloquial contraction?… Just as Americans take shortcuts when speaking (“gonna” instead of “going to”).
I think comparing it to ‘gonna’ is accurate or ‘whachew wanna do?’. Just keep practicing, and it won’t be that long before you’ll be able to parse the words with little problem. Übung macht den Meister. Apart from repetition and listening to/watching as much as possible, you’ll find that practicing your grammar and expanding your vocab will help you develop better instincts for what the words *must* be, given the context. You’ve no doubt seen a number of contractions like ‘nen for einen, or dropping the ‘e’ in first person verbs and infinitives: ‘ich hab’s geseh’n’. My advice is to focus on saying, writing and speaking things properly, and this everyday speech will make more sense in no time at all.
That sounds very encouraging :). I totally agree on the learning grammar and vocab part. Especially vocab, the fewer words you don’t know in a sentence, the more your brain can focus on filling in the gaps made by contractions and stuff.
Ha, you’re right. It’s pretty contracted. I try to give authentic audio, that’s why it’s so fast. I think this shortening of the initial “ich” is pretty common. People do just enough to make it recognizable and essentially it’s just the “ch” sound without the vocal chords even doing anything. That sound “i” enough to be understood. But don’t worry about it. Just listen to it a few times and your brain will start wiring up new synapses.
Vielen Dank! Du bist der Beste :)
Gerne :)
Mensch! Du sollst ein Buch schreiben! Alles, was du schreibst, ist einfach köstlich!
Ich arbeite grade dran.
Thoughtful and entertaining post, as always. Your posts are an absolute treat to read, thank you!
“Das Fleisch waschen, würzen und dann über Nacht in Bier einlegen.”
Auf Englisch kann man auch “marinate” sagen: Wash and season the meat, then marinate it in beer overnight.
Ich glaube, dass man “marinate” nur für Fleisch sagt, aber es wird auch für z.B. Gemüse versteht.
Man kann ”marinate” sagen für Essen außerdem Fleisch, aber es klingt nicht. Vielleicht weil es ist nicht häufig, die Gemüse zu einlegen. Jedoch ”marinate” ist das fachgerechte Wort für alles Essen.
Zwei kleine Korrekturen:
– … für Essen ausserdem Fleisch…
“Ausserdem” heißt “in addition to that”. Das passt hier nicht. Du meinst “ausser”, aber noch besser wäre “für anderes Essen als Fleisch”.
– … die Gemüse zu einlegen
“Gemüse” wird fast immer ohne Artikel benutzt. Und “einlegen” ist trennbar, das heißt, das “zu” muss zwischen Präfix und Verb
-… Gemüse einzulegen.
Ich glaube (bin kein Experte) man sagt dazu auch auf Deutsch marinieren. Das ist dann aber alles… also würzen und in Flüssigkeit liegen lassen. Und “einlegen” ist ein Weg, ein Lebensmittel haltbar zu machen, “marinieren” nicht.
So I guess I am confused on the r+verb and da+preposition..
“Wir können es ja kurz ins Eisfach reinlegen.”
If beer is direct object and ice is indirect object..
So r+verb = DO and da+prep = IO, right?
Meaning..
reinlegen means put beer in.. (so we dont have to say beer outright)
darein means in there (so we don’t have to say bucket of ice outright)
… and so darein wouldn’t really work in this example, right?
Thanks.
Wait, I’m confused.
“reinlegen means put beer in”… no, it means “put in there”.”r+verb” is still a verb, not a direct object. You still need a direct object. In the example it was “es” which stands for the beer. “darein” indeed wouldn’t work because that specifies a location but we also say “ins Eisfach” which also specifies a location. You can’t establish the same location twice using different methods in one sentence.
– I’m going there to the park.
Does that help?
Also, könnte man vielleicht antworten… -Ja, leg es (das Bier) darein (ins Eisfach) ?
Yes, that works. I think I would leave out “da” because it’s clear that we’re talking about the Eisfach and we don’t need to point again, but that’s juts personal preference. … oh, sorry für das Englisch :/. ZU spät gemerkt :)
I believe it also means to make a deposit into a bank account.
The noun “die Einlage” is used in that context. There’s the nice “Einlagensicherungsgesetz” which the government passed during the financial crisis to reassure people that their savings are save because the country will guarantee for them.
But I wouldn’t use the verb for it. Maybe you need when you write a paper for an economy program but I have never heard it used in daily life in that context. People use “einzahlen” for that.
You’re soooo funny! I love your blog! I learn German laughing!
Cool, glad to hear that. So sollte es sein :) (that’s how it should be)
I’m glad einlegen with cucumbers doesn’t have the same meaning of the literal translation in (Egyptian) Arabic. PS in English they use “shove” :)
Haha… that would be “einführen” in German.