verb

graben

dig

Mit den Händen, einem Werkzeug oder einer Maschine Erde wegnehmen, um ein Loch oder einen langen schmalen Weg im Boden zu machen.

Definition & meaning

graben is primarily a German strong verb meaning “to dig” or “to excavate.” It describes removing earth, sand, or another material with a tool or machine.

ein Loch graben — to dig a hole
im Garten graben — to dig in the garden
einen Tunnel graben — to dig a tunnel

It can also mean to bury something, especially in the expression:

etwas vergraben — to bury something

As a capitalized noun, der Graben means “ditch,” “trench,” “moat,” or sometimes “gully.” Figuratively, it can mean a deep division or gap between people or groups.

ein tiefer Graben zwischen den Parteien — a deep divide between the parties

Grammar & word origin

graben is an irregular, strong verb:

Infinitive: graben
Present tense, third-person singular: er gräbt
Simple past: er grub
Past participle: gegraben
Perfect tense: er hat gegraben

The vowel changes from a to ä in the present tense:

ich grabe
du gräbst
er gräbt

The word goes back to Old High German graban and is related to English “grave” and “groove.” The noun der Graben is derived from the same Germanic root.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

buddeln — to dig, usually in an informal or casual way, often in soil or sand
ausheben — to excavate or dig out; more technical and often used for construction work
bohren — to drill or bore; unlike graben, it usually involves making a narrow, cylindrical hole
schaufeln — to shovel; it emphasizes the use of a shovel rather than the general activity of digging

Antonyms

There is no single exact antonym for graben. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:

zuschütten — to fill in a hole, ditch, or trench
auffüllen — to fill something up, often with earth or another material
ebnen — to level or flatten the ground

Common phrases & collocations

ein Loch graben — to dig a hole
die Erde graben — to dig the earth
im Garten graben — to dig in the garden
einen Graben graben [\u003f](vocabuo://word einen%20Graben%20graben) — to dig a ditch
sich sein eigenes Grab graben — literally “to dig one’s own grave,” meaning to cause one’s own downfall
nach etwas graben — to dig for something
in der Erde graben — to dig in the ground