ködern
to bait
To attach bait to a fishing hook or in a trap in order to attract and catch an animal.
EXAMPLE
Der Angler köderte den Haken mit einem kleinen Fisch.
The angler baited the hook with a small fish.
ködern
to bait / lure
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
ködern
to lure
To attract someone with a tempting offer or promise, often with the intention of leading them into something or deceiving them.
EXAMPLE
Die Firma versucht, neue Mitarbeiter mit einem hohen Gehalt zu ködern.
The company is trying to lure new employees with a high salary.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'ködern' (to bait / lure) derives directly from the noun 'der Köder' (the bait). A Köder is something you use to attract animals or even people.
EXAMPLE
Mit Würmern als Köder kann man gut Fische fangen.
With worms as bait, you can catch fish well.
Sentence structure with 'mit'
The verb 'ködern' (to bait / lure) is very often used with the preposition 'mit' (with) and the dative. The thing that serves as the lure is connected with 'mit'.
EXAMPLE
Er köderte die Maus mit einem Stück Käse.
He baited the mouse with a piece of cheese.
Negative meaning
When you 'ködert' (lure) people, it almost always has a negative meaning. It implies that you are tempting someone into something negative or deceptive with an attractive offer.
EXAMPLE
Lass dich nicht von diesen leeren Versprechungen ködern.
Don't let yourself be lured in by these empty promises.
Compare with
ködern vs locken
to lure / to curl
Both verbs describe an attractive offer that gets someone to do something. locken is usually neutral and describes the attraction; ködern presents the offer deliberately as bait and can therefore sound manipulative or disparaging. Use ködern especially when deception or an ulterior motive is implied.
ködern
Die Firma ködert Kunden mit einem Rabatt, verschweigt aber wichtige Kosten.
The company lures customers with a discount but conceals important costs.
locken
Der Rabatt lockt viele Kunden dazu, das neue Produkt auszuprobieren.
The discount lures many customers into trying the new product.
In real life
Loading video examples...