01
einlaufen
to enter
Refers to ships or boats entering a harbor or bay.
example
Das große Kreuzfahrtschiff wird morgen früh in den Hafen einlaufen.
The large cruise ship will enter the harbor early tomorrow morning.
einlaufen
to enter / arrive / shrink
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Separable verb
'Einlaufen' (to enter / arrive / shrink) is a separable verb. The prefix 'ein-' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Die Flotte läuft in den sicheren Hafen ein.
The fleet enters the safe harbor.
Perfect tense with 'sein'
Since 'einlaufen' (to enter / arrive / shrink) describes movement or a change of state in all of its meanings, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be).
EXAMPLE
Die E-Mail mit der Bestätigung ist soeben eingelaufen.
The email with the confirmation has just arrived.
Meaning of the prefix
The prefix 'ein-' often suggests movement 'hinein' (into/inward). This applies literally to ships (into the harbor), athletes (into the stadium), and runners (into the finish), but also figuratively to clothing that gets smaller (shrinks inward).
EXAMPLE
Die Mannschaft ist pünktlich zum Anpfiff eingelaufen.
The team entered right on time for kickoff.
Context clue: abstract
When the subject of the sentence is something abstract, 'einlaufen' usually means 'ankommen' (to arrive) or 'eingehen' (to come in / be received). Typical subjects are messages, orders, payments, applications, or complaints.
EXAMPLE
Bis zum Fristende sind über hundert Bewerbungen eingelaufen.
By the deadline, more than one hundred applications had arrived.
Dative construction
When clothing shrinks, the person this happens to can be in the dative. This is a very typical construction in German.
EXAMPLE
Die neue Jeans ist mir leider beim ersten Waschen eingelaufen.
Unfortunately, the new jeans shrank on me the first time I washed them.
Fixed expression with an object
In the meaning 'to make shoes more comfortable', 'einlaufen' is used as a transitive verb with an accusative object. The fixed expression is '(die) Schuhe einlaufen' (to break in shoes).
EXAMPLE
Ich trage die neuen Schuhe zu Hause, um sie für die Party einzulaufen.
I wear the new shoes at home to break them in for the party.
Compare with
einlaufen vs ankommen
to arrive
'ankommen' and 'einlaufen' can both mean that something or someone reaches a destination. 'ankommen' is the general word and works for people, trains, packages, and many other situations. 'einlaufen' is more specific: it is especially used for ships entering a harbor, for messages or payments that arrive, or for runners reaching the finish. Learners may confuse the words because both describe an arrival. In most everyday situations, 'ankommen' is correct; 'einlaufen' is chosen only in certain fixed areas.
einlaufen
Am Nachmittag ist die Zahlung endlich auf dem Konto eingelaufen.
In the afternoon, the payment finally arrived in the account.
ankommen
Wegen einer Störung kommt der Zug erst um acht Uhr an.
Because of a disruption, the train will not arrive until eight o'clock.
In real life
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