kriechen
to crawl
To move forward on one's stomach or on all fours with the body close to the ground.
EXAMPLE
Das Baby hat gerade angefangen, durch das Wohnzimmer zu kriechen.
The baby has just started to crawl through the living room.
kriechen
to crawl / grovel
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
kriechen
to grovel
To behave submissively and flatteringly in order to gain advantages from a person in a higher position. This meaning has a strongly negative connotation.
EXAMPLE
Er ist nur deshalb befördert worden, weil er ständig vor dem Chef kriecht.
He was only promoted because he constantly grovels before the boss.
kriechen
to crawl
To move extremely slowly. Often used for vehicles in traffic jams or for very slow processes.
EXAMPLE
Im Feierabendverkehr kriecht der Verkehr auf der Autobahn nur noch voran.
In rush-hour traffic, traffic on the highway is only crawling along.
Usage tips
Perfect tense with 'sein'
'Kriechen' (to crawl) describes a form of movement. Therefore, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), not with 'haben' (to have).
EXAMPLE
Die Schnecke ist langsam über das Blatt gekrochen.
The snail crawled slowly across the leaf.
Context clue: subject
The subject of the sentence reveals the meaning: babies or animals crawl on the ground. Traffic or time crawls when it is very slow. A person 'kriecht vor jemandem' (grovels before someone) when they behave submissively.
EXAMPLE
Das Baby ist unter den Tisch gekrochen.
The baby crawled under the table.
Fixed preposition
In the figurative, negative meaning, 'kriechen' (to grovel) is often used with the preposition 'vor' and a person in the dative: 'vor jemandem kriechen' (to grovel before someone).
EXAMPLE
Ich werde sicher nicht vor dem neuen Abteilungsleiter kriechen, nur um beliebt zu sein.
I certainly won't grovel before the new department head just to be popular.
Typical subjects
When it is about slow movement, 'kriechen' (to crawl) is often used for vehicles in traffic jams or abstract things like time.
EXAMPLE
Die Autos krochen Stoßstange an Stoßstange über die Brücke.
The cars crawled bumper to bumper across the bridge.
Compare with
kriechen vs robben
to crawl
Robben and kriechen both describe moving close to the ground. Robben more specifically means lying on your stomach and pulling your body across the ground, while kriechen also includes moving on all fours. Use robben for this particular body position and kriechen as the more general expression.
kriechen
Das Kind kroch auf allen Vieren durch das nasse Gras.
The child crawled on all fours through the wet grass.
robben
Der Soldat musste bäuchlings durch das nasse Gras robben.
The soldier had to crawl on his stomach through the wet grass.
In real life
Loading video examples...