verb

stolpern

trip · stumble

Man verliert das Gleichgewicht, weil man mit dem Fuß an etwas hängen bleibt.

Definition & meaning

The verb stolpern primarily describes the act of losing one's balance momentarily due to hitting an obstacle with one's foot or losing footing while walking or running. This often leads to a sudden, stumbling movement, though not necessarily a complete fall.

Additionally, stolpern can be used figuratively:

To make a mistake or get stuck while speaking or reading (e.g., "über ein Wort stolpern").
To discover something by chance or unexpectedly (often used with the preposition "über").
In a political or professional context, it refers to a person being forced to resign or losing their position due to a scandal or failure (e.g., "über eine Affäre stolpern").

Grammar & Word origin

stolpern is a weak verb. It is intransitive, meaning it does not take a direct object. In the perfect tense, it uses the auxiliary verb sein (e.g., "Ich bin über den Stein gestolpert").

The word originated in Middle High German as stolpiren, likely related to the Low German stulpen (to turn over or bump). It shares linguistic roots with words describing sudden, jerky movements.