Before you start
Meet entgegenkommen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
entgegen- + kommen
- entgegen-
- toward someone, in the opposite direction
- kommen
- to come
You come toward someone to meet them, or move partway toward what they want.
So entgegenkommen means to come to meet; to accommodate.
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 kommen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- ankommento arrive
- vorkommento happen, occur, seem
- zurückkommento return
- hereinkommento come in
- herauskommento come out
- zukommento come towards, be in store
- herkommento come here
- aufkommento come up, arise, pay for
Separable verb: entgegen·kommen
In a main clause the prefix entgegen splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseDer Bus kommt uns entgegen.The bus is coming toward us.
Subordinate clauseIch bin froh, dass du mir entgegenkommst.I’m glad that you’re accommodating me.
Participle: entgegengekommenzu-infinitive: entgegenzukommen
Forms
How entgegenkommen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | komme entgegen | kam entgegen |
| du | kommst entgegen | kamst entgegen |
| er/sie/es | kommt entgegen | kam entgegen |
| wir | kommen entgegen | kamen entgegen |
| ihr | kommt entgegen | kamt entgegen |
| Sie | kommen entgegen | kamen entgegen |
Partizip II entgegengekommen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Ich komme dir beim Plan entgegen.I’ll accommodate you with the plan.accommodating someone
- 2Der Mann ist mir gestern entgegengekommen.The man came to meet me yesterday.Perfekt with sein
- 3Du musst mir heute entgegenkommen.You have to meet me halfway today.with a modal verb
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
entgegenkommen + der Nachbar
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Say who the neighbor comes to meet, using a dative pronoun.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
My brotherder Bruder came to meet me at the stationder Bahnhof.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When she came toward us, we were already at the doordie Tür.
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Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
He accommodates me because I have little timedie Zeit.
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Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
The womandie Frau who came to meet him lives next doornebenan.
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 · die Lehrerin can accommodate us this timediesmal.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She tries to accommodate her childrendas Kind, die Kinder.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Could you accommodate me on the priceder Preis?
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:
entgegenkommen + der Chef + obwohl
Your challenge
- 1Use entgegenkommen in an obwohl-clause.
- 2Include der Chef and say you stay calm.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
When did someone accommodate you? Answer in one German sentence.
Your challenge
- 1Answer with one sentence in the Perfekt.
- 2Say who accommodated you, using a dative pronoun.
- 3Include an als-clause explaining when.