01
erledigen
to take care of
To bring a task, job, or duty to an end or complete it.
example
Ich muss heute noch einige wichtige E-Mails erledigen.
I still have to take care of some important emails today.
erledigen
to take care of / to finish
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 04
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
The prefix 'er-' is inseparable. This means it remains firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms and is not placed at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Sie erledigt ihre Hausaufgaben immer sofort.
She always takes care of her homework right away.
Word structure
The verb consists of the prefix 'er-', which often indicates a result, and the stem 'ledig', which means 'free'. So 'erledigen' (to take care of/complete) literally means to make something 'free' or 'finished'.
EXAMPLE
Sobald ich diese Aufgabe erledigt habe, habe ich frei.
As soon as I have taken care of this task, I am free.
Typical collocations
In everyday life, 'erledigen' (to take care of/complete) is often combined with tasks and duties. Typical phrases are 'Arbeit erledigen' (to get work done), 'Aufgaben erledigen' (to complete tasks), 'Einkäufe erledigen' (to do shopping), or 'Besorgungen erledigen' (to run errands).
EXAMPLE
Am Samstag muss ich noch ein paar Besorgungen in der Stadt erledigen.
On Saturday, I still have to run a few errands in town.
Reflexive use
The reflexive form 'sich erledigen' (to take care of itself) means that a problem disappears on its own. The subject of the sentence is always the matter or problem, not a person.
EXAMPLE
Das Problem mit dem Drucker hat sich von selbst erledigt.
The problem with the printer took care of itself.
As an adjective for 'tired'
In the form 'erledigt sein' (to be wiped out), the past participle is used like an adjective and means 'completely exhausted'. This use is very common in colloquial language.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Arbeitstag bin ich total erledigt.
After the long workday, I am totally wiped out.
Compare with
erledigen vs machen
to do / make
'machen' and 'erledigen' can both be used for tasks or work. 'machen' only says that you carry out an activity. 'erledigen' emphasizes that a task is completed and is no longer unfinished afterward. That is why you can say 'Ich mache die Hausaufgaben' (I am doing the homework), while 'Ich erledige die Hausaufgaben' more strongly means that you get it finished. Learners can easily confuse the words because both fit with tasks. If finishing the task is important, 'erledigen' is more precise.
erledigen
Bitte erledige die Anmeldung noch vor dem Termin.
Please take care of the registration before the appointment.
machen
Das Kind macht nach der Schule seine Hausaufgaben.
The child does his homework after school.
In real life
Loading video examples...