verb

klettern

climb

Sich mit Händen und Füßen an etwas nach oben oder unten bewegen, zum Beispiel an einem Baum, Felsen oder einer Wand.

Definition & meaning

klettern is a German verb meaning “to climb” or “to scramble.” It usually describes climbing using the hands and feet, often on rocks, trees, climbing walls, ladders, or other difficult surfaces.

to climb / scramble:
Das Kind klettert auf den Baum. — “The child is climbing the tree.”
to go climbing:
Wir klettern am Wochenende in den Bergen. — “We are going climbing in the mountains.”
to rise gradually in a figurative or informal sense:
Die Preise klettern weiter. — “Prices continue to rise.”

It can also describe something moving upward with difficulty or gradually.

Grammar & Word origin

Word class: verb
Infinitive: {klettern}
Present tense: ich klettere, du kletterst, er/sie/es klettert
Simple past: kletterte
Past participle: geklettert
Auxiliary verb: usually sein when emphasizing movement to a higher place: Sie ist auf den Berg geklettert. “She climbed up the mountain.” Haben is also possible when focusing on the activity: Sie hat den ganzen Tag geklettert. “She climbed all day.”
It is a regular, non-separable verb.

The word is related to the noun {Kletterer} , meaning “climber,” and {Kletterei} , meaning “climbing” or “scrambling.” Its exact origin is uncertain, but it is connected with older Germanic words referring to climbing or clinging.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

{steigen} — “to climb” or “to ascend”; broader and more neutral than klettern. It can refer to walking uphill, going up stairs, or ascending in general.
{hochklettern} — “to climb up”; more specifically emphasizes upward movement.
{emporsteigen} — “to ascend”; formal or literary, and usually less physical and less hands-on than klettern.
{krabbeln} — “to crawl” or “to creep”; generally describes movement close to the ground, especially by babies or small animals, rather than climbing vertically.
{erklettern} — “to climb” or “to scale” something; more formal and often emphasizes successfully reaching a particular place.

Antonyms

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

{hinuntersteigen} — “to climb down” or “to descend”; the direct opposite of climbing upward.
{herunterklettern} — “to climb down”; specifically the downward counterpart of hochklettern.
{fallen} — “to fall”; opposite in the sense of moving upward deliberately versus moving downward uncontrollably.
{sitzen} — “to sit”; an opposite in the sense of remaining stationary instead of climbing.

Common phrases & collocations

{auf einen Baum klettern} — to climb a tree
{auf einen Berg klettern} — to climb a mountain
{eine Kletterwand hochklettern} — to climb up a climbing wall
{über einen Zaun klettern} — to climb over a fence
{ins Bett klettern} — to climb into bed
{die Karriereleiter hochklettern} — literally “to climb the career ladder”; to advance professionally
{Die Preise klettern} — prices are rising; an informal or vivid figurative expression