ankurbeln
to crank up
To start or switch on something by turning a crank.
EXAMPLE
Er kurbelte den alten Motor an.
He cranked up the old engine.
ankurbeln
to crank up / boost
ankurbeln – kurbelte an – hat angekurbelt
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Meanings
ankurbeln
to boost
To promote and invigorate a development, activity, or the economy.
EXAMPLE
Die neuen Maßnahmen sollen die Wirtschaft ankurbeln.
The new measures are intended to boost the economy.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry ankurbeln, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | kurble an kurbele an |
|---|---|
| du | kurbelst an |
| er/sie/es | kurbelt an |
| wir | kurbeln an |
| ihr | kurbelt an |
| sie | kurbeln an |
Simple past
| ich | kurbelte an |
|---|---|
| du | kurbeltest an |
| er/sie/es | kurbelte an |
| wir | kurbelten an |
| ihr | kurbeltet an |
| sie | kurbelten an |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe angekurbelt |
|---|---|
| du | hast angekurbelt |
| er/sie/es | hat angekurbelt |
| wir | haben angekurbelt |
| ihr | habt angekurbelt |
| sie | haben angekurbelt |
Commands
| du | kurble an! kurbele an!, kurbel an! |
|---|---|
| ihr | kurbelt an! |
| Sie | kurbeln Sie an! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte angekurbelt |
|---|---|
| du | hattest angekurbelt |
| er/sie/es | hatte angekurbelt |
| wir | hatten angekurbelt |
| ihr | hattet angekurbelt |
| sie | hatten angekurbelt |
Future
| ich | werde ankurbeln |
|---|---|
| du | wirst ankurbeln |
| er/sie/es | wird ankurbeln |
| wir | werden ankurbeln |
| ihr | werdet ankurbeln |
| sie | werden ankurbeln |
Subjunctive I
| ich | kurbele an kurble an |
|---|---|
| du | kurbelst an kurblest an |
| er/sie/es | kurbele an kurble an |
| wir | kurbeln an |
| ihr | kurbelt an kurblet an |
| sie | kurbeln an |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | kurbelte an |
|---|---|
| du | kurbeltest an |
| er/sie/es | kurbelte an |
| wir | kurbelten an |
| ihr | kurbeltet an |
| sie | kurbelten an |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | ankurbeln |
|---|---|
| with zu | anzukurbeln |
| present participle | ankurbelnd |
| past participle | angekurbelt |
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Ankurbeln' (to crank up / boost) is a separable verb. In a main clause, 'an' (up) appears at the end of the sentence; in a subordinate clause, the verb remains together. In the infinitive with 'zu' (to), 'zu' comes between 'an' and 'kurbeln'.
EXAMPLE
Die Mechanikerin kurbelt den Motor an.
The mechanic cranks up the engine.
Er prüft, ob die Mechanikerin den Motor ankurbelt.
He checks whether the mechanic cranks up the engine.
Es ist schwierig, den alten Motor anzukurbeln.
It is difficult to crank up the old engine.
Technical collocations
In its literal meaning, 'ankurbeln' (to crank up) is often used with technical devices or engines. Typical collocations are 'einen Motor ankurbeln' (to crank up an engine) and 'eine Maschine ankurbeln' (to crank up a machine).
EXAMPLE
Früher musste man bei vielen Autos den Motor von Hand ankurbeln.
In the past, you had to crank up the engine by hand in many cars.
Economic collocations
In its figurative meaning, 'ankurbeln' (to boost) is often associated with the economy, demand, consumption, investment, or business. The object refers to the area that is to be stimulated.
EXAMPLE
Die Stadt will mit einem Kulturfestival den Tourismus ankurbeln.
The city wants to boost tourism with a cultural festival.
In real life
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