verbverb
checken
check
Definition & meaning
The verb checken is a colloquial German loanword derived from English. It is primarily used in two ways:
- To understand or grasp something: Used to describe the act of comprehending a complex situation, a joke, or a piece of information.
- To verify or inspect something: Used when someone checks if something is correct, available, or functional, or to take a look at a situation or location.
Grammar & Word origin
- Grammar: It is a weak verb. The conjugation follows the standard pattern for German verbs ending in "-en": ich checke, du checkst, er/sie/es checkt, wir checken, ihr checkt, sie/sie checken. The past participle is gecheckt.
- Word origin: It is a direct adoption from the English verb "to check." It gained popularity in German slang and informal language in the late 20th century.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- For "to understand": verstehen checken, begreifen checken, kapieren checken, schnallen checken.
- For "to verify/inspect": überprüfen checken, kontrollieren checken, nachsehen checken, untersuchen checken.
Antonyms:
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Examples
Er checkt seine E-Mails.verb
He checks his emails.
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