verb

greifen

reach · reach for · grab

Mit der Hand oder den Fingern etwas festhalten oder packen.

Definition & meaning

greifen is a strong German verb with several related meanings:

To grasp, grab, or take hold of something
- To physically reach for and hold an object.
- nach etwas greifen means “to reach for something.”
- etwas greifen can mean “to grasp or seize something.”
To reach for or resort to something
- zu etwas greifen means “to resort to something,” often because it is readily available or considered effective.
- Example: resorting to a method, remedy, tool, or measure.
To take effect or work
- In expressions such as eine Maßnahme greift, it means that a measure is beginning to have an effect.
- Das Gesetz greift means “the law takes effect” or “the law applies.”
To spread or gain ground
- In the expression um sich greifen, it means “to spread” or “to become increasingly widespread,” often referring to something negative.
To intervene firmly or assert authority
- In the prefixed verb durchgreifen , it means “to take decisive action” or “to crack down.” This is a related compound rather than a meaning of greifen by itself.

Grammar & Word origin

Infinitive: greifen
Present tense: er greift
Simple past: er griff
Past participle: gegriffen
Auxiliary verb: haben
Verb type: strong verb
Typical constructions:
- etwas greifen — to grasp something; accusative
- nach etwas greifen — to reach for something; nach + dative
- zu etwas greifen — to resort to something; zu + dative

The word is inherited from an old Germanic verb related to the idea of grasping or seizing. The noun der Griff , meaning “grip,” “handle,” or “grasp,” comes from the same word family. Compounds include angreifen (“to attack”), begreifen (“to understand”), and ergreifen (“to seize” or “to take”).

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

packen — “to grab” or “to seize”; usually suggests a firmer or more forceful action than greifen.
fassen — “to grasp,” “hold,” or “take hold of”; often emphasizes successfully getting hold of something.
nehmen — “to take”; more general and not necessarily involving a physical grasp.
schnappen — “to snatch” or “to snap up”; suggests a quick, sudden movement.
erfassen — “to grasp” intellectually or physically; in the intellectual sense, it means “to understand,” unlike ordinary physical greifen.

Antonyms

There is no single exact antonym in every context. Depending on the meaning, possible opposites are:

loslassen — “to let go”; the clearest opposite of physically grasping.
ablegen — “to put down” or “set aside”; opposite of taking or holding something.
weggeben — “to give away” or “hand over”; opposite of taking something for oneself.
scheitern — “to fail”; can contrast with greifen in the expression eine Maßnahme greift, where the measure is effective.

Common phrases & collocations

nach etwas greifen — to reach for something
zu einem Mittel greifen — to resort to a means or method
zu drastischen Maßnahmen greifen — to resort to drastic measures
eine Maßnahme greift — a measure takes effect or works
eine Regel greift — a rule applies
um sich greifen — to spread or become widespread
jemanden am Arm greifen — to grab someone by the arm
ins Leere greifen — literally “to grasp into emptiness”; to fail to achieve the intended result or to come up empty-handed