fischen
to fish
To catch fish or other aquatic animals from the water, usually with a fishing rod, a net, or other tools.
EXAMPLE
Am Wochenende gehen wir oft am See fischen.
On weekends, we often go fishing at the lake.
fischen
to fish
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Meanings
fischen
to fish out
To pull something out of a liquid or a cluttered area with one's hands or an object.
EXAMPLE
Er fischte den Schlüsselbund aus seiner tiefen Tasche.
He fished the key ring out of his deep pocket.
fischen nach
to fish for
To try deliberately but indirectly to get a specific piece of information or reaction from someone.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat den ganzen Abend nach Komplimenten gefischt.
She was fishing for compliments all evening.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'fischen' (to fish) is derived directly from the noun 'der Fisch' (fish). It describes the activity one does in order to catch fish.
EXAMPLE
Mein Opa hat mir beigebracht, wie man Fische fängt und richtig fischt.
My grandpa taught me how to catch fish and fish properly.
Context clue
The preposition after 'fischen' (to fish) changes the meaning strongly. Without a preposition or with a place ('am See' — at the lake), it means fishing. With 'aus' (out of), it means to pull something out, and with 'nach' (for), it means to look for something indirectly.
EXAMPLE
Er fischt eine Münze aus seiner Hosentasche.
He fishes a coin out of his pants pocket.
Sentence structure
In the meaning 'etwas herausholen' (to pull something out), 'fischen' (to fish out) is almost always used with the preposition 'aus' (out of) and the dative. This construction describes where something is taken from.
EXAMPLE
Sie fischte die Nudeln mit einer Gabel aus dem heißen Wasser.
She fished the noodles out of the hot water with a fork.
Fixed preposition
The figurative meaning 'nach etwas fragen' (to ask for something) works only with the preposition 'nach' (for). Typical nouns in this expression are compliments, information, or recognition.
EXAMPLE
Er stellt unauffällige Fragen und fischt so nach Informationen über das Projekt.
He asks discreet questions and thus fishes for information about the project.
Compare with
fischen vs fangen
to catch
When catching fish, fischen typically refers to the activity of using a fishing rod, net, or other tools; it does not have to imply success. Fangen with a specific fish as the object, on the other hand, emphasizes that the catch was actually successful.
fischen
Am Morgen fischt Lea mehrere Stunden im See, aber ohne Erfolg.
In the morning, Lea fishes in the lake for several hours, but without success.
fangen
Am Morgen fängt Lea im See eine große Forelle.
In the morning, Lea catches a large trout in the lake.
In real life
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