es ergeht jemandem
to fare
Describes a person's state or well-being. It expresses how someone is doing or what someone is going through.
EXAMPLE
Ich hoffe, es ergeht dir gut auf deiner Reise.
I hope you are faring well on your trip.
ergehen
to fare / to be issued
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
etwas über sich ergehen lassen
to endure
To passively endure or tolerate an unpleasant or unwanted situation without resisting it.
EXAMPLE
Er musste die lange und langweilige Rede des Chefs über sich ergehen lassen.
He had to endure the boss's long and boring speech.
ergehen
to be issued
Used in formal or legal contexts when an official decision, judgment, or order is announced or issued.
EXAMPLE
Das Urteil in diesem Fall wird voraussichtlich nächste Woche ergehen.
The judgment in this case is expected to be issued next week.
sich ergehen in
to indulge in
To engage with or talk about something at length and often excessively, for example self-pity or long explanations.
EXAMPLE
Anstatt eine Lösung zu suchen, erging er sich in Vorwürfen gegen seine Kollegen.
Instead of looking for a solution, he indulged in accusations against his colleagues.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Ergehen' is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'er-' remains firmly attached to the stem 'gehen' in all tenses and sentence constructions.
EXAMPLE
Ein Haftbefehl gegen den Verdächtigen ist ergangen.
An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect.
Dative construction
In the meaning 'sich befinden' (to be doing/to be situated), 'ergehen' is always used with 'es' as the subject and the person in the dative. The corresponding question is: 'Wie ergeht es dir/ihm/ihr?' (How are you/is he/is she faring?).
EXAMPLE
Seit seiner Beförderung ergeht es ihm finanziell deutlich besser.
Since his promotion, he has been faring significantly better financially.
Fixed expression
The expression 'etwas über sich ergehen lassen' (to endure something) is fixed. The object that one endures is in the accusative, and the reflexive pronoun 'sich' refers to the person who tolerates something.
EXAMPLE
Geduldig ließ sie die Kritik ihres Professors über sich ergehen.
Patiently, she endured her professor's criticism.
Reflexive with preposition
In this meaning, the verb is reflexive and is used with the fixed preposition 'in' followed by the dative. It often describes excessive, negative behavior.
EXAMPLE
Sie erging sich in endlosen Spekulationen über die Zukunft der Firma.
She indulged in endless speculation about the future of the company.
Register and context
This meaning of 'ergehen' belongs to formal administrative and legal language. You find it almost exclusively in official communications. Typical subjects are 'Urteil' (judgment), 'Beschluss' (decision/resolution), or 'Befehl' (order).
EXAMPLE
Gegen den Angeklagten erging ein strenges Urteil.
A severe judgment was issued against the defendant.
Compare with
ergehen vs gehen
to go
Gehen and ergehen can both refer to a person's well-being. Wie geht es jemandem? is the normal everyday question, while wie ergeht es jemandem? sounds more formal and somewhat elevated. In conversation, gehen is usually the better choice; ergehen can also be used in more formal writing.
ergehen
Wie ergeht es Ihrer Schwester nach der Prüfung?
How is your sister faring after the exam?
gehen
Wie geht es deiner Schwester nach der Prüfung?
How is your sister doing after the exam?
In real life
Loading video examples...