to lock up
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to lock up
To shut a person or an animal in a room or container so that they can no longer get out. This often happens against the will of the person or animal.
Der Dieb wurde gefasst und sofort in eine Zelle eingesperrt.
The thief was caught and immediately locked up in a cell.
to lock oneself in
To voluntarily shut oneself in a room, usually in order to be undisturbed, to concentrate, or to isolate oneself from others.
Um in Ruhe lernen zu können, sperrte sie sich in ihrem Zimmer ein.
In order to study in peace, she locked herself in her room.
'Einsperren' (to lock up) is a separable verb. The prefix 'ein' stands at the end of the main clause. In subordinate clauses, the verb stays together.
Der Wärter sperrt den Gefangenen ein.
The guard locks the prisoner up.
The verb is made up of the prefix 'ein-' and the verb 'sperren' (to lock, to block). The prefix 'ein-' emphasizes movement into an enclosed space.
Aus Versehen hat er die Katze im Keller eingesperrt.
He accidentally locked the cat in the basement.
When the place is mentioned, the preposition 'in' is used. Movement into the place requires the accusative; the state of being in the place requires the dative.
Er wurde in sein Zimmer eingesperrt.
He was locked up in his room.
The verb can be used reflexively: 'sich einsperren' (to lock oneself in). The reflexive pronoun is in the accusative. This usually describes a voluntary action in order to be alone.
Ich sperre mich jetzt eine Stunde ein, um das Buch zu Ende zu lesen.
I'm going to lock myself in for an hour now to finish reading the book.
to lock in / include / enclose
When someone cannot leave a room, both einschließen and einsperren are possible. einschließen emphasizes that the place is locked and can also happen accidentally. einsperren usually emphasizes depriving someone of their freedom, often against their will. einsperren is therefore more appropriate for deliberate confinement.
Der Entführer sperrte den Mann absichtlich im Keller ein.
The kidnapper deliberately locked the man in the basement.
Der Hausmeister schloss den Schüler versehentlich im Klassenraum ein.
The caretaker accidentally locked the student in the classroom.
