01
sich einschleichen
to sneak in
To go to a place secretly, quietly, and unnoticed.
example
Der Fuchs hat sich nachts in den Hühnerstall eingeschlichen.
The fox sneaked into the henhouse at night.
einschleichen
to sneak in
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Separable verb
'Einschleichen' (to sneak in) is a separable verb. The prefix 'ein-' separates in a main clause and goes at the end. The verb is irregular: einschleichen, schlich ein, eingeschlichen.
EXAMPLE
Ein Fehler schlich sich in die Berechnung ein.
An error crept into the calculation.
Word structure
The verb consists of 'ein-' (into/in) and 'schleichen' (to move quietly and slowly). The literal meaning 'to move secretly into something' is the basis for all figurative meanings.
EXAMPLE
Die Katze schlich sich leise ins Haus ein.
The cat sneaked quietly into the house.
Reflexive use
This verb is almost always used reflexively with 'sich'. This applies to the literal meaning (to move secretly into something) and to all figurative meanings (errors, habits).
EXAMPLE
In meinen Text hat sich ein Tippfehler eingeschlichen.
A typo crept into my text.
Sentence structure with preposition
The preposition indicates the meaning. 'Sich in etwas (accusative) einschleichen' means to get into something unnoticed. 'Sich bei jemandem (dative) einschleichen' means to sneak one's way into someone's trust.
EXAMPLE
Ein Virus hat sich in das Computersystem eingeschlichen.
A virus has crept into the computer system.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, 'sich einschleichen' (to creep in) is very often used for negative, unnoticed developments. Typical subjects are: an error, a misunderstanding, an inaccuracy, or a bad habit.
EXAMPLE
Mit der Zeit haben sich einige schlechte Gewohnheiten in seinen Alltag eingeschlichen.
Over time, some bad habits have crept into his everyday life.
Compare with
einschleichen vs entstehen
to arise
'entstehen' and 'sich einschleichen' can both describe something being there over time that was not there before. 'entstehen' is neutral and general: a plan, a problem, or an idea can 'entstehen'. 'sich einschleichen' is used more for something negative that happens slowly and almost unnoticed, such as mistakes or bad habits. It sounds as if you only noticed it late.
einschleichen
In den Bericht haben sich mehrere kleine Fehler eingeschlichen.
Several small mistakes have crept into the report.
entstehen
Durch das Missverständnis ist im Team ein neuer Konflikt entstanden.
Because of the misunderstanding, a new conflict arose within the team.
In real life
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