01
erfrieren
to freeze to death
To die from extreme cold.
example
Ohne Schutzkleidung wäre der Bergsteiger in dem Schneesturm erfroren.
Without protective clothing, the mountaineer would have frozen to death in the snowstorm.
erfrieren
to freeze to death
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Inseparable prefix
The prefix 'er-' here indicates a result, often with a fatal outcome. Similar to 'erschießen' (to shoot dead; to die by being shot), 'erfrieren' means to die from freezing.
EXAMPLE
Die Bergsteiger sind im Schneesturm fast erfroren.
The mountaineers almost froze to death in the snowstorm.
Auxiliary verb 'sein'
When 'erfrieren' means to die from cold, the perfect tense is formed with 'sein' (to be). The reason is that it describes a change of state, from life to death.
EXAMPLE
Die Katze ist letzte Nacht draußen leider erfroren.
Sadly, the cat froze to death outside last night.
Reflexive construction
When referring to frostbite on body parts, the verb is used reflexively with the dative: 'sich (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) erfrieren' (to get frostbite on something). In this case, the perfect tense is formed with 'haben' (to have).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mir beim Skifahren die Nase erfroren.
I got frostbite on my nose while skiing.
Context clue
You can distinguish the meanings by the sentence structure. If 'erfrieren' stands alone and is used with the auxiliary verb 'sein', it means 'to die'. If it is reflexive with 'haben' and a body part, it refers to a localized injury.
EXAMPLE
Der Mann ist erfroren.
The man froze to death.
Compare with
erfrieren vs eingehen
to die / shrink / respond
'eingehen' and 'erfrieren' can both describe a living thing or plant dying. 'eingehen' is more general and is used especially for plants or small animals when they die because of poor conditions, for example too little water or care. 'erfrieren' names the cause more precisely: something dies because of severe cold or frost. Learners may confuse the words when talking about plants in winter. If cold is the reason, 'erfrieren' is more precise. If the reason is generally poor conditions, 'eingehen' is a better fit.
erfrieren
Bei diesem Frost können die jungen Pflanzen leicht erfrieren.
In this frost, the young plants can easily freeze.
eingehen
Ohne Wasser werden die Blumen auf dem Balkon bald eingehen.
Without water, the flowers on the balcony will soon die.
In real life
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