verb

kriegen

get

Etwas bekommen oder erhalten, oft nach einer Anstrengung oder einem Wunsch.

Definition & meaning

The verb kriegen is a very common, informal word used in everyday German. It has two main meanings:

To get or receive: In this context, it is a colloquial alternative to the more formal verb bekommen. It is used when someone receives an object, a message, an illness, or even a specific treatment. For example, one might "get" a present or "get" a cold.
To catch or apprehend: This meaning refers to physically capturing someone or something. It is used when a person is trying to catch another person in a game, or when the police are trying to catch a criminal. It can also describe the act of managing to reach or grab an object.

Additionally, the word appears in several idiomatic expressions, such as "etwas herauskriegen" (to find out/solve something) or "etwas auf die Reihe kriegen" (to manage to do something).

Grammar & Word origin

Kriegen is a regular (weak) verb. Its forms are:

Present: ich kriege, du kriegst, er/sie/es kriegt
Preterite: ich kriegte
Perfect: hat gekriegt

The word consists of the root krieg and the suffix -en. Historically, it is directly related to the noun Krieg, which means war. In Middle High German, the verb originally meant to exert oneself, to struggle, or to fight for something. Over the centuries, the meaning shifted from "obtaining something through struggle or conflict" to the simple, modern meaning of "receiving" or "getting." Because of its origins in conflict, it is still considered less formal than other synonyms.