to develop / earn
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to earn through effort
To achieve or acquire something through one's own effort, hard work, and labor.
Sie hat sich ihren Erfolg und ihre Position in der Firma hart erarbeitet.
She earned her success and her position in the company through hard effort.
The verb is made up of the prefix 'er-' and 'arbeiten' (to work). The prefix 'er-' often expresses that you achieve a result through an action. 'Erarbeiten' therefore means to create or achieve something through work.
Die Studenten müssen sich den Lernstoff selbstständig erarbeiten.
The students have to work through the course material independently.
'Erarbeiten' is an inseparable verb because it begins with 'er-'. The prefix remains firmly attached to the verb stem in all sentence forms.
Das Team erarbeitete eine Lösung für das komplexe Problem.
The team developed a solution to the complex problem.
Using it with or without a reflexive pronoun indicates the meaning. 'Sich (Dativ) etwas erarbeiten' means to gain something for oneself through effort. 'Etwas erarbeiten' means to develop something (e.g., a concept), often in a team.
Er hat sich seinen guten Ruf hart erarbeitet.
He earned his good reputation through hard effort.
In the reflexive meaning, the verb is often combined with abstract goals. Typical phrases are: 'sich Respekt erarbeiten' (to earn respect), 'sich eine gute Position erarbeiten' (to earn a good position), or 'sich Anerkennung erarbeiten' (to earn recognition).
Durch ihre Zuverlässigkeit hat sie sich den Respekt ihrer Kollegen erarbeitet.
Through her reliability, she earned the respect of her colleagues.
to reach
'erreichen' and 'erarbeiten' can both have to do with success through effort. 'erreichen' mainly says that a goal has been achieved. 'sich etwas erarbeiten' (to earn something through effort) puts more emphasis on the path to get there: you get something through your own work, practice, or effort. 'erarbeiten' can also mean developing a plan, a solution, or a concept step by step. Learners may confuse the words because both often appear in school, work, or project contexts. If the result is important, 'erreichen' fits; if the work and the process of building something up are important, 'erarbeiten' fits.
Die Gruppe erarbeitet im Kurs eine Lösung für das Problem.
The group is developing a solution to the problem in the course.
Ich erreiche bessere Noten, wenn ich regelmäßig lerne.
I achieve better grades when I study regularly.