erwarten
Meaning and Usage
"Erwarten" in German means "to expect" or "to anticipate". It is used to express the act of looking forward to something or having an expectation of something happening in the future.
Linguistic Analysis
The word "erwarten" is a verb and can be broken down into the prefix "er-" and the root "warten". The prefix "er-" often indicates a completion or intensification of the action. "Warten" means "to wait", so "erwarten" can be understood as "to wait for something to completion" or "to await".
Comparisons between German and English
The word "erwarten" is similar to the English word "to await" in its meaning, although it is more commonly used to express expecting or anticipating something.
Cultural Context
In German culture, the concept of "erwarten" is often associated with the idea of punctuality and reliability. It is common to hear phrases like "Wir erwarten Ihre pünktliche Ankunft" (We expect your punctual arrival) in formal settings.
Example Sentences
- Ich erwarte einen Anruf von meinem Freund. (I am expecting a call from my friend.)
- Die Eltern erwarten ein Baby im nächsten Monat. (The parents are expecting a baby next month.)
Memory Tips
To remember the meaning of "erwarten", you can associate it with the English word "await" and think of the "er-" as intensifying the waiting process.
Additional Vocabulary
- die Erwartung (expectation)
- erwartungsvoll (expectant, eagerly anticipating)
Gender and Plural (for nouns)
N/A
Conjugation (for verbs)
- ich erwarte (I expect)
- du erwartest (you expect)
- er/sie/es erwartet (he/she/it expects)
- wir erwarten (we expect)
- ihr erwartet (you expect, plural)
- sie/Sie erwarten (they/you formal expect)