angreifen
to attack
To attack someone or something physically or militarily in order to fight or conquer.
EXAMPLE
Das Land wurde unerwartet in der Nacht angegriffen.
The country was attacked unexpectedly during the night.
angreifen
to attack
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Meanings
angreifen
to attack
To sharply criticize or attack someone or something with words.
EXAMPLE
In seiner Rede hat der Oppositionsführer die Regierung scharf angegriffen.
In his speech, the opposition leader sharply attacked the government.
angreifen
to damage
To damage or impair something, such as health or a material.
EXAMPLE
Die aggressive Säure greift das Metall an.
The aggressive acid damages the metal.
angreifen
to attack
In sports, to go on the offensive in order to try to score a goal or a point.
EXAMPLE
Die Mannschaft muss jetzt angreifen, wenn sie das Spiel noch gewinnen will.
The team has to attack now if it still wants to win the game.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Angreifen' (to attack) is a separable verb. The prefix 'an-' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Der Feind greift die Stadt an.
The enemy attacks the city.
Word structure
The verb consists of the prefix 'an-' and the verb 'greifen' (to grab). The literal meaning is therefore 'to reach for something in order to grasp it,' which describes the idea of an attack well.
EXAMPLE
Der Löwe greift seine Beute an.
The lion attacks its prey.
Context clues
The object of the verb helps you understand the meaning. A country or a person is attacked militarily or verbally. A material or health is attacked by something, such as acid or stress, meaning damaged.
EXAMPLE
Der Politiker griff seinen Gegner verbal an.
The politician verbally attacked his opponent.
Typical adverbs
When 'angreifen' (to attack) describes a verbal attack, it is often combined with adverbs such as 'scharf' (sharply), 'persönlich' (personally), 'direkt' (directly), or 'öffentlich' (publicly).
EXAMPLE
Der Journalist hat den Minister in seinem Artikel scharf angegriffen.
The journalist sharply attacked the minister in his article.
Health and material
In the meaning 'schädigen' (to damage), the subjects are often abstract things like stress, an illness, or chemicals. The objects are then often health, the immune system, or materials.
EXAMPLE
Der viele Stress greift seine Gesundheit an.
All the stress is damaging his health.
Compare with
angreifen vs kritisieren
to criticize
Both verbs describe sharp negative statements about a person or thing. „Kritisieren“ can be an objective assessment of mistakes or problems, whereas „angreifen“ presents the statement as personal or particularly aggressive. Choose „kritisieren“ for objective criticism and „angreifen“ for a confrontational tone.
angreifen
Der Abgeordnete griff den Minister in der Debatte persönlich an.
The member of parliament personally attacked the minister during the debate.
kritisieren
Die Journalistin kritisierte den Plan wegen seiner hohen Kosten.
The journalist criticized the plan because of its high costs.
In real life
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