Dictionary > verbs
- hat raufgegebengab rauf1.
- to give upward
- (The literal meaning of handing an object upward. Think of handing a screw driver to someone on a ladder. "hochgeben" is more idiomatic overall, I think.)
Opposite (closest): runtergebensee details >2.- to put on top of
- (Can be "draufgeben" or "raufgeben". Think of asking an ice cream vendor if they can add some chocolate sirupe on top. Sounds a bit formal, though and "(d)raufmachen" is the more common choice.)
- hat raufgekriegtkriegte rauf1.
- to get up
- (In the sense of managing to move something up somewhere. Think of moving a heavy couch.)
see details >2.- to get on top
- (Very colloquial. Used in context of getting a topping on your food.)
- ist raufgestiegenstieg raufsee details >1.
- to get on (it), to climb on (it)
- (Getting or climbing onto a thing that has been established before. Can be a simple table or a bike. Rare for a mountain. More common in the sense of "stepping on", but that's regional. Either "rauf-" or "drauf-" but pretty much never "herauf-".)
Opposite (closest): runtersteigen - ist rübergelaufenlief rübersee details >1.
- to walk across
- (Think of a bridge. With "rüber", the focus is a bit more on A to B, with "drüber" it's on being on it while crossing. But that is some C-Level nuance.)
- hat rübergestelltstellte rüber1.
- to put something over there
- (ONLY in the literal sense of putting an object from one "side" to another. Think of putting a chair over into the living room or moving the mirror out of the way, or something.)
see details >2.- to put over/above
- ("drüberstellen" - Literally putting something over something. Think of a table over a door in the floor, for example. Can also be "rüberstellen" but "drüberstellen" is more common, because it's about the resulting position, not the motion.)
- hat runtergesetztsetzte runter1.
- to sit down
- (In the sense of switching seating places from somewhere up to down. Think of someone sitting on a table then switching to the floor. Usually used with a self reference - "sich+Acc runtersetzen".)
Opposite (closest): hochsetzen2.- to reduce in price
- (Especially "runtergesetzt" is pretty common in daily life conversations. )
Opposite (closest): hochsetzensee details >3.- to sit down under it
- (In the literal sense of taking a seat under something. Like, think of a tree during a rainfall. Usually used reflexively - "sich+Acc druntersetzen". )
- ist hintergestiegenstieg hinter1.
- to climb to the rear
- (Technically, it can mean that, but I doubt you'll see it in real life any time soon. Maybe for climbing to the backseat of a car from the front.)
see details >2.- to understand something
- ("dahintersteigen" - the "da" often gets split off and moved elsewhere. Pretty similar to "durchsteigen", but this one is more about one particular "mystery". Think of a magical trick that you can't understand how it's done.)
- hat untergezogenzog untersee details >1.
- to put something underneath
- ("sich+Dat etwas unterziehen" - in the sense of clothes. Both "runterziehen" and "drunterziehen" work, but "runterziehen" sounds a bit weird.)
- hat rausbekommenbekam raus1.
- to get out
- (In the literal sense of managing to get something out of somewhere.)
Opposite (closest): reinbekommensee details >2.- to find out
- (Usually implies a big of digging or at least some sort of secret.)
- ist rausgestiegenstieg raussee details >1.
- to climb out (to rise out)
- (Super literal and barely ever used, except in epic contexts. That's why it's usually also with "her-" and not just "r-". Maybe think of a queen slowly leaving a pool. For most contexts, "rausklettern" is more idiomatic.)
Opposite (closest): reinsteigen - hat rumgespieltspielte rumsee details >1.
- to play around
- ist rumgezogenzog rumsee details >1.
- to move around
- (Either moving around town with friends, or in the sense of moving from settlement to settlement. Think of a circus for example. Though in the latter context, "umherziehen" is more idiomatic because.... reasons #reasonsarethebest)
- ist runtergekommenkam runter1.
- to come down
- (Works in a factual sense of "going to a lower altitude" but also for coming down from some sort of "trip", be it from stress, anger or drugs. For numbers, "runtergehen" is the more common choice.)
Opposite (closest): raufkommensee details >2.- to get run down
- (The adjective "heruntergekommen" is more common.)
- hat vorgegucktguckte vorsee details >1.
- to peek out, to stick out
- (An object peeking out from a cover. Think of a unicorn trying to hide behind a bush, but the horn sticks out.)
- hat vorgeholtholte vorsee details >1.
- to bring out, to take out
- (Take out something you had in your pockets (or personality). "hervorholen" is more probably a bit more common.)
- hat ernährternährte1.
- to feed, to nurture, to nourish
- (ONLY for food. Not in figurative contexts)
see details >2.- to eat
- ("sich+Acc ernähren von" - Sounds a bit technical but still, it's fairly common in daily life, especially in context of special diets.)
- hat abgeändertänderte absee details >1.
- to modify, to alter
- (Make small changes or adjustments in a bigger whole. Think of changing a route slightly or shifting around a few slides in a presentation.)
- hat abgearbeitetarbeitete ab1.
- to work, to get done
- (For a heap of work that you slowly "ablate" through work. )
2.- to work off
- (Paying a debt through work.)
see details >3.- to wear oneself out with working
- ("sich+Acc abarbeiten an+Dat" - fixed phrasing for the idea of putting a lot of energy into a difficult and maybe futile endeavors. )
- hat abgebautbaute ab1.
- to take down, to deconstruct
- (methodically remove something that was built, like a stage or a tent)
Opposite (closest): aufbauensee details >2.- to decompose, to reduce, to break down
- (for substances and energies)
- hat abgebissenbiss absee details >1.
- to bite off, to take a bite
- hat abbekommenbekam ab1.
- to get a share
- ("etwas abbekommen von" - sounds a bit clumsy and needy, so don't use it in a professional business context.)
2.- to get hit
- (Same idea as before, only that now you get a share of something you didn't want. Think of someone throwing mud at party. )
see details >3.- to (manage to) get off
- (The idea is that you're succesfully trying to get something of from somewhere. Think of a sticker from a car. )
- hat abbestelltbestellte absee details >1.
- to cancel
- (ONLY for subscriptions where something is sent to you - either mail or a newsletter. Does NOT work for Netflix, for example.)
Opposite (closest): bestellen - hat abgebogenbog absee details >1.
- to turn
- (in the sense of changing direction in traffic)
- hat abgebildetbildete ab1.
- to depict
- (Capture in pics, sounds a bit formal)
see details >2.- to map, to transform
- (In the mathematical sense)
- hat abgebundenband ab1.
- to tie off, to untie
- (Pretty much only in the context of losing the leash or a dog from a tree. Most other contexts will be "losbinden".)
Opposite (closest): anbinden2.- to bind, to thicken
- (For binding a sauce!!)
see details >3.- to put on a tourniquet, to secure
- (Put on a pressure bandage or tourniquet. You "bind off" that body part or artery.)
- hat abgeblasenblies ab1.
- to blow off
- (ONLY for literally blowing an object off from somewhere. SUPER rare!!)
see details >2.- to cancel, to call off
- (Colloquial phrase for cancelling an event or project.)
- ist abgeblättertblätterte absee details >1.
- to peel off, to flake off
- (Pretty much only used for paint.)
- ist abgebliebenblieb ab1.
- to stay/remain off
- (in the sense of "not attached")
see details >2.- to be
- (Pretty much only in questions for the location of an object like "Wo ist ... abgeblieben?")
- hat abgebrochenbrach ab1.
- to abort
- (In the sense of "stopping an ongoing process". NOT for abortions in context of pregnancy.)
see details >2.- to break off
- (in the literal sense of breaking something off of something)
- hat abgebremstbremste absee details >1.
- to brake
- (Sounds a bit more sudden than "bremsen" but the difference is mostly based on what's idiomatic in a context.)
- ist abgebranntbrannte absee details >1.
- to burn down
- (Not for burning something completely, but rather burning to the "foundation". Can be a building or an incence stick. If you "abbrennen" something, the spoken past goes with "haben". If something "abbrennen" by itself, it goes with "sein".)
- hat abgebrachtbrachte absee details >1.
- to talk sb out of sth
- ("jemanden (Acc) von etwas (Dative) abbringen); always needs to come with the von-part.)
- hat abgebuchtbuchte absee details >1.
- to debit
- (Lit.: "to book off" - it's when some other party draws money from your account. NOT for you withdrawing cash at an ATM.)
Opposite (closest): überweisen - hat abgedecktdeckte ab1.
- to cover, put a cover over
- (so that others can’t see it or so that it’s away from the air or the rain)
2.- to cover
- (for topics)
see details >3.- to remove a roof
- (Think hurricane ;))
- hat abgedichtetdichtete absee details >1.
- to seal
- (A leakage of some kind.. NOT for sealing documents.)
- hat abgedrehtdrehte ab1.
- to turn away
- (For boats and planes only)
2.- to turn off
- (For water and colloquially also electricity. )
3.- to screw off
- (For lids. Rarely actually used.)
4.- to wrap up
- (In the context of finishing filming a movie.)
see details >5.- to go crazy
- (Colloquial, often in a positive sense.)
- hatsee details >1.
- to print
- (With a focus on the fact that it'll be published. Think of a juicy celebrity photo and the editors are debating whether they should print it.)
- hat abgedrücktdrückte ab1.
- to pull the trigger
see details >2.- to pay money
- ("abdrücken (für)" - very colloquial and usually in contexts where you think something is quite a lot of money.)
- hat abgeernteterntete absee details >1.
- to harvest, to reap
- (Slightly technical term that includes the idea of completion. So you harvest a field or tree completely. )
- ist abgefahrenfuhr ab1.
- to start driving
- (With a focus in leaving. Often used for trains leaving a station. For starting your car ride, "losfahren" is the better choice.)
2.- to dig, to really like
- ("abfahren auf+Acc" - quite colloquial and not easy to use idiomatically, because it doesn't always work.)
4.- to drive along
- (ONLY in the sense of driving a full course of something, usually in a context of some sort of inspection.)
see details >5.- to drive down
- (For mountains and hills and primarily used in context of biking or skiing.)
- ist abgefallenfiel ab1.
- to decrease, to drop, to decline
- (For certain metrics like quality, energy, performance and voltage, but it's overall pretty rare. You need to know the idiomatic phrasings.)
Opposite (closest): ansteigen2.- to descend, to slope down
- (For terrain only. And it's what the terrain does, not what you do on the terrain. )
Opposite (closest): ansteigen3.- to come out of, to be yielded
- (Mainly for financial gains or other compensations. The benefits are what does the "abfallen".)
see details >4.- to fall off
- (Something literally falling off of something. Think of a bumper of a car, for example. Also for figurative loads that fall off of you. If the focus is on hitting the floor, then "runterfallen" is the better choice.)
- hat abgefangenfing absee details >1.
- to intercept
- hat abgefärbtfärbte ab1.
- to bleed into
- (In the sense of a colored item "sharing" its color with other things. Think of a new shirt that might ruin your clothes if washed together.)
see details >2.- to rub off on, to influence
- ("abfärben auf+Acc" - a figurative use where a person's character or behavior starts influencing others to behave the same way.)
- hat abgefedertfederte absee details >1.
- to cushion, to absorb (a shock)
- (Softening an impact. Also used figuratively. )
- hat abgefeiertfeierte absee details >1.
- to party really hard
- (kind of slang)
- hat abgefundenfand ab1.
- to pay off, to compensate
- (Usually used in the context of severance payments for jobs)
see details >2.- to make peace with
- („sich+Acc abfinden mit“ - ONLY in the sense of getting to terms with a situation. NOT making peace with someone)
- ist abgeflogenflog ab1.
- to fly off
- (In the sense of being blown off by pressure. Think of a lid of a bottle. NOT for a hat being blown off by the wind.)
see details >2.- to depart
- (For planes. The verb "starten" is more idiomatic, but the noun "der Abflug" is pretty common. )
- ist abgeflossenfloss absee details >1.
- to flow away, out
- (Primarily for water that is "stuck" somewhere (sink or low area of land) but it's also used in a financial context for funds or liquidity.)
- hat abgefragtfragte absee details >1.
- to ask, to question, to quiz
- (In the sense of running through a list of questions. Mostly used in the context of practicing with someone for an exam)
- hat abgegebengab ab1.
- to give a share
- ("abgeben von" - usually for small scale things like sharing a piece of your pizza)
2.- to hand over, to turn in
- (For items that you "turn in", like a phone at the door of a yoga retreat. Also for some borrowed things like a bike or a car. And for roles and responsibilities.)
3.- to be, to make for
- ("etwas+Acc abgeben" - Colloquial phrase for objects and people doing a surprisingly good job in a function that they weren't made for.)
see details >4.- to deal with, to occupy oneself with
- ("sich+Acc abgeben mit" - Usually used in the negative, either for tasks you don't want to deal with or people you (don't) want to get involved with.)
Here's a quick overview with translations. For family, examples and more check the details.