to win / achieve
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to win / achieve
To obtain something desirable, such as a victory, a right, or a position, through great effort, struggle, or conflict.
Die Mannschaft hat sich den Sieg in den letzten Minuten hart erkämpft.
The team fought hard to win the victory in the final minutes.
'Erkämpfen' (to win/achieve through struggle) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'er-' remains firmly attached to the stem 'kämpfen' (to fight) in all tenses and sentence types, and emphasizes the successful obtaining of something through effort.
Sie hat sich diese Position hart erkämpft.
She fought hard to earn this position.
When the verb is used reflexively, the reflexive pronoun is in the dative if there is an accusative object. The structure is: subject + erkämpft + sich (dative) + something (accusative).
Der Sportler erkämpfte sich den ersten Platz.
The athlete fought his way to first place.
This verb is often combined with valuable, usually abstract goals. Typical objects are: a victory, freedom, a title, respect, or certain rights.
Die Bürgerbewegung hat sich mehr Rechte erkämpft.
The citizens' movement fought for more rights.
to reach
'erreichen' and 'erkämpfen' can both mean that you get or achieve a goal. 'erreichen' is neutral and general: a goal can be achieved through work, planning, or development. 'erkämpfen' is stronger. It says that there was resistance, great effort, or a struggle, for example for a right, a victory, or a position. Learners may confuse the words because both describe a result. If only the result is important, 'erreichen' fits. If the difficult path and the effort should be emphasized, 'erkämpfen' fits.
Selma hat sich nach vielen Gesprächen einen festen Platz im Team erkämpft.
After many conversations, Selma fought for and earned a permanent place on the team.
Mit regelmäßigem Training erreicht er sein Ziel schneller als gedacht.
With regular training, he achieves his goal faster than expected.