Before you start
Meet eingreifen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
ein- + greifen
- ein-
- into a situation
- greifen
- to reach or grasp
You reach into an ongoing situation and take hold of it.
So eingreifen means to intervene; to step in.
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: ein·greifen
In a main clause the prefix ein splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseMeine Mutter greift oft ein.My mother often steps in.
Subordinate clauseIch bleibe ruhig, weil mein Vater eingreift.I stay calm because my father intervenes.
Participle: eingegriffenzu-infinitive: einzugreifen
Forms
How eingreifen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | greife ein | griff ein |
| du | greifst ein | griffst ein |
| er/sie/es | greift ein | griff ein |
| wir | greifen ein | griffen ein |
| ihr | greift ein | grifft ein |
| Sie | greifen ein | griffen ein |
Partizip II eingegriffen · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Ich greife sofort ein.I intervene immediately.prefix goes to the end
- 2Die Polizei hat gestern eingegriffen.The police intervened yesterday.Perfekt with sein
- 3Der Lehrer greift ein, wenn Kinder streiten.The teacher intervenes when children argue.verb at the end after wenn
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
eingreifen + der Streit
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Say what the teacher intervenes in, using in.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
They calledanrufen me, and I intervened.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When I sawsehen the argumentder Streit, I intervened immediatelysofort.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
I intervened because the childrendas Kind, die Kinder were shoutingschreien.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The womandie Frau who intervened knowskennen my motherdie Mutter.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The teacherder Lehrer must intervene if the children fightkämpfen.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She decidedsich entscheiden to intervene in the argumentder Streit.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Why did you intervene in the argumentder Streit?
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:
eingreifen + der Streit + obwohl
Your challenge
- 1Start with an obwohl-clause.
- 2Use the present tense in both clauses.
- 3Say that the teacher intervenes although the argument is over.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
Have you ever intervened in a disagreement? Answer in one sentence.
Your challenge
- 1Answer the question in one sentence.
- 2Use the Perfekt of eingreifen.
- 3Say what situation you intervened in.