01
heben
to lift
To move something with physical strength from a lower to a higher position; to raise or lift up.
example
Kannst du mir helfen, diesen schweren Tisch zu heben?
Can you help me lift this heavy table?
heben
to lift
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Strong verb
'Heben' (to lift) is a strong verb. Its principal parts are 'heben', 'hob', 'gehoben'. The perfect tense is formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have).
EXAMPLE
Er hat die schwere Kiste allein in den zweiten Stock gehoben.
He lifted the heavy box to the second floor by himself.
Reflexive use
The reflexive form 'sich heben' describes an upward movement that happens by itself. It is used, for example, for dough that rises or for the chest when breathing.
EXAMPLE
Der Teig muss an einem warmen Ort stehen, damit er sich hebt.
The dough has to stand in a warm place so that it rises.
Base for compounds
'Heben' (to lift) is the base word for many important separable verbs such as 'abheben' (to take off, withdraw money), 'aufheben' (to pick up, keep), or 'anheben' (to raise slightly). Recognizing 'heben' helps you understand these verbs.
EXAMPLE
Das Flugzeug wird in wenigen Minuten abheben.
The plane will take off in a few minutes.
Abstract meaning
In a figurative sense, 'heben' (to lift) is used to improve or raise something abstract. Typical combinations are 'die Stimmung heben' (to lift the mood), 'das Niveau heben' (to raise the level), or 'die Moral heben' (to boost morale).
EXAMPLE
Gute Musik kann an einem schlechten Tag die Stimmung heben.
Good music can lift the mood on a bad day.
Fixed expression
The phrase 'das Glas heben' (to raise a glass) is a common way to make a toast. It is often followed by 'auf + accusative' to say what one is toasting.
EXAMPLE
Lasst uns die Gläser auf das Brautpaar heben!
Let's raise our glasses to the bride and groom!
Regional variant
In Austria and southern Germany, 'heben' is often used in the sense of 'Geld vom Konto abheben' (to withdraw money from an account). In other regions of Germany, 'abheben' is more common.
EXAMPLE
Ich gehe kurz zur Bank, um etwas Geld zu heben.
I'm going to the bank quickly to withdraw some money.
Compare with
heben vs gehen
to go
'gehen' and 'sich heben' can both mean, with dough, that it becomes larger and airier. 'gehen' is very common for this in everyday language, especially in the phrase 'den Teig gehen lassen' (to let the dough rise). 'sich heben' describes the visible upward movement more strongly. It sounds somewhat more precise, or also a little less everyday. Learners may confuse the words because both refer to a similar change in dough. In practice: in baking, people usually say 'Der Teig geht' (The dough is rising). If you especially want to describe the upward movement, you can say 'Der Teig hebt sich' (The dough is rising/lifting up).
heben
Im warmen Zimmer hebt sich der Teig schon nach kurzer Zeit.
In the warm room, the dough starts to rise after only a short time.
gehen
Der Teig muss vor dem Backen eine Stunde an einem warmen Ort gehen.
Before baking, the dough has to rise in a warm place for an hour.
In real life
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