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.
to fight for
To achieve or obtain something for oneself through personal effort and by overcoming resistance.
Nach langer Krankheit musste er sich seinen Platz im Leben neu erkämpfen.
After a long illness, he had to fight to regain his place in life.
'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 force
Both verbs can describe achieving a difficult-to-reach result in sports. „Erzwingen“ emphasizes bringing it about through pressure or persistence, while „erkämpfen“ emphasizes the great effort or struggle involved. „Erkämpfen“ is therefore often appropriate for a hard-won success, while „erzwingen“ is used for an outcome that has been forced.
Die Mannschaft erkämpft sich in der letzten Minute noch den Ausgleich.
The team fights its way to an equalizer in the final minute.
Die Mannschaft erzwingt in der letzten Minute noch den Ausgleich.
The team forces an equalizer in the final minute.
