erwischen
to catch
To catch someone in the act of doing something forbidden or secret, or to apprehend them.
EXAMPLE
Die Lehrerin hat den Schüler beim Spicken erwischt.
The teacher caught the student cheating.
erwischen
to catch
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Meanings
erwischen
to catch
To reach or catch something or someone just in time before it is too late.
EXAMPLE
Wenn wir uns beeilen, erwischen wir vielleicht noch den letzten Bus.
If we hurry, we might still catch the last bus.
erwischen
to catch
Colloquial for getting an illness.
EXAMPLE
Ich glaube, ich habe mir eine Erkältung erwischt.
I think I've caught a cold.
erwischt werden
to get caught
To be hit or affected by something negative, for example by a ball, bad weather, or an unfortunate circumstance.
EXAMPLE
Wir wurden auf dem Rückweg vom Gewitter voll erwischt.
We got completely caught in the thunderstorm on the way back.
Usage tips
Register
The verb 'erwischen' (to catch) has a rather colloquial character in all of its meanings. It is used more often in spoken language than in formal written texts.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe ihn gerade noch erwischt, bevor er zur Tür hinausging.
I caught him just before he went out the door.
Sentence structure with 'bei'
When you catch someone doing something forbidden, you use the preposition 'bei' followed by a noun in the dative. Often a verb is nominalized in this construction.
EXAMPLE
Meine Mutter hat mich beim heimlichen Naschen erwischt.
My mother caught me secretly snacking.
Fixed expression
A very common idiom is 'jemanden auf frischer Tat erwischen' (to catch someone red-handed). It means that you catch a person at the exact moment when they are doing something forbidden.
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei hat den Einbrecher auf frischer Tat erwischt.
The police caught the burglar red-handed.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'rechtzeitig erreichen' (to reach in time), 'erwischen' (to catch) is almost always used in connection with public transportation. Typical phrases are 'den Bus erwischen' (to catch the bus), 'den Zug erwischen' (to catch the train), or 'den Anschluss erwischen' (to make the connection).
EXAMPLE
Ich bin gerannt und habe den Zug in letzter Sekunde noch erwischt.
I ran and caught the train at the very last second.
Colloquial use
The phrase 'eine Krankheit erwischen' (to catch an illness) is typical of everyday spoken language. For example, you can say 'eine Erkältung' (a cold), 'die Grippe' (the flu), or 'einen Virus erwischen' (to catch a virus).
EXAMPLE
Zieh dir eine Jacke an, damit du dir keine Erkältung erwischst.
Put on a jacket so you don't catch a cold.
Compare with
erwischen vs bekommen
to get / receive
When talking about an illness, both “bekommen” and “erwischen” can mean that someone becomes ill. “Bekommen” is neutral, while “erwischen” sounds more colloquial and often presents the illness as something unwelcome. For a factual statement, “bekommen” is the less marked choice.
erwischen
Nach dem langen Flug erwischte mich eine Grippe.
I caught the flu after the long flight.
bekommen
Nach dem langen Flug bekam ich eine Grippe.
I got the flu after the long flight.
In real life
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