Before you start
Meet anrichten
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 3 meanings
- to wreak, to cause, to do (harm)
- (of food) to prepare
- (of food) to serve, to dish up
Build the meaning
an- + richten
- an-
- toward a surface or into a finished arrangement
- richten
- to set or direct
You set things into place on a dish or table, or direct something toward a harmful result.
So anrichten means to arrange or serve food; to cause damage.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Separable verb: an·richten
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 clauseDas Restaurant richtet den Fisch schön an.The restaurant presents the fish beautifully.
Subordinate clause…, weil der Koch das Essen schön anrichtet.…, because the cook presents the food beautifully.
Participle: angerichtetzu-infinitive: anzurichten
Forms
How anrichten changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | richte an | richtete an |
| du | richtest an | richtetest an |
| er/sie/es | richtet an | richtete an |
| wir | richten an | richteten an |
| ihr | richtet an | richtetet an |
| Sie | richten an | richteten an |
Partizip II angerichtet · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Der Koch richtet das Essen schön an.The cook presents the food beautifully.prefix goes to the end
- 2Der Sturm hat an vielen Häusern großen Schaden angerichtet.The storm caused extensive damage to many houses.Perfekt with haben
- 3Sie kann das Essen schnell anrichten.She can prepare the food quickly.modal verb with infinitive
Verb family
More verbs built on richten
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.