Before you start
Meet angreifen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
an- + greifen
- an-
- toward or against something
- greifen
- to grasp or seize
To reach against someone and seize or engage them.
So angreifen means to attack or assault.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Verb family
More verbs built on greifen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
Separable verb: an·greifen
In a main clause the prefix an splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseDie Katze greift den kleinen Vogel an.The cat attacks the little bird.
Subordinate clauseEr bleibt ruhig, weil die Männer ihn angreifen.He stays calm because the men attack him.
Participle: angegriffenzu-infinitive: anzugreifen
Forms
How angreifen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | greife an | griff an |
| du | greifst an | griffst an |
| er/sie/es | greift an | griff an |
| wir | greifen an | griffen an |
| ihr | greift an | grifft an |
| Sie | greifen an | griffen an |
Partizip II angegriffen · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Der Hund greift den Mann an.The dog attacks the man.present, prefix at the end
- 2Die Polizei hat den Mann angegriffen.The police attacked the man.Perfekt with haben
- 3Wenn sie uns angreifen, laufen wir weg.If they attack us, we run away.verb at the end after wenn
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
angreifen + der Hund
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Say whom the dog attacks.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The dogder Hund attacked him yesterdaygestern.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When the mander Mann came closernäher, the dogder Hund attacked him.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She called the policedie Polizei rufen because a mander Mann attacked her.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The mander Mann whom the dogder Hund attacked is my neighborder Nachbar.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We must protectschützen the childrendas Kind, die Kinder because someone can attack them.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
He leftverlassen the roomdas Zimmer so he would not attack his brotherder Bruder againwieder.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Would you attack someonejemand who insultedbeleidigen your familydie Familie?
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 9 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
angreifen + der Junge + obwohl
Your challenge
- 1Start with an obwohl-clause.
- 2Use the present tense.
- 3Use a pronoun for der Junge in the main clause.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
When would you attack someone to protect a friend?
Your challenge
- 1Answer with a wenn-clause.
- 2Use angreifen in the Konjunktiv II.