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.
'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 free
'befreien' and 'einsperren' describe opposite actions. 'einsperren' means that a person or animal is locked in a room or container and cannot get out. 'befreien' means that someone releases someone or something from that kind of situation. The words go especially well together when talking about captivity or a physical restriction. Put simply: with 'einsperren', someone cannot get out; with 'befreien', someone becomes free again.
Das Kind sperrt den Hamster nicht in die kleine Kiste ein.
The child does not lock the hamster in the small box.
Im Park befreit ein Mann den Vogel vorsichtig aus dem Netz.
In the park, a man carefully frees the bird from the net.