verb

sammeln

collect

Etwas an einem Ort zusammenbringen oder aufbewahren, oft viele ähnliche Dinge.

Definition & meaning

sammeln means to collect, gather, or bring things together. The exact sense depends on what is being gathered:

To collect items, often as a hobby: stamps, coins, or books.
To gather or pick things up, such as leaves or donations.
To accumulate something over time, such as experience or points.
To gather people in one place.
In the reflexive form, sich sammeln means to compose oneself, regain one’s focus, or gather one’s thoughts.

Grammar & Word origin

sammeln is a regular, weak verb. Its principal forms are sammelt, sammelte, and hat gesammelt. It usually takes haben in the perfect tense.

It can be used with a direct object (to collect something) or without one (to collect as a hobby). The reflexive form is sich sammeln.

The verb comes from older German forms meaning “to gather” or “bring together.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms vary by context:

zusammentragen means to gather things together, often from different sources.
einsammeln emphasizes going around and collecting or picking things up.
anhäufen means to amass or accumulate, often suggesting a large quantity.
aufheben can mean to pick something up from the ground, but does not usually mean to collect items as a hobby.

There is no single antonym for all meanings of sammeln. Depending on context, possible opposites include:

verteilen — to distribute, the opposite of gathering things in one place.
zerstreuen — to scatter or disperse.
wegwerfen — to throw away, an opposite when collecting or keeping items.

Common phrases & collocations

Briefmarken sammeln — to collect stamps: Briefmarken , sammeln
Erfahrungen sammeln — to gain experience: Erfahrungen , sammeln
Geld für etwas sammeln — to raise money for something: Geld , für , etwas , sammeln
sich wieder sammeln — to regain one’s composure or focus: sich , wieder , sammeln