01
krönen
to crown
To place a crown on someone in a ceremonial act and thereby make him or her king or queen.
example
Im Jahr 800 wurde Karl der Große zum Kaiser gekrönt.
In the year 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor.
krönen
to crown
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'krönen' (to crown) derives directly from the noun 'die Krone' (the crown). All meanings, including the figurative ones, relate to the idea of placing something at the top or giving it a special distinction.
EXAMPLE
Der König trug eine goldene Krone.
The king wore a golden crown.
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'krönen' (to crown) from the object. If a person is crowned, it refers to the ceremony. If an abstract concept (success, career) is crowned, it is the high point. If a dish is crowned, it refers to the garnish.
EXAMPLE
Man krönte den Prinzen zum neuen König.
They crowned the prince the new king.
Sentence structure
In the literal meaning, the construction 'jemanden (accusative) zu etwas (dative) krönen' (to crown someone as something) is used to name the person's new title.
EXAMPLE
Die Kirche krönte ihn zum Kaiser.
The church crowned him emperor.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, 'krönen' (to crown) is often used with abstract nouns such as 'der Erfolg' (success), 'die Karriere' (career), 'der Abend' (evening), or 'das Werk' (work).
EXAMPLE
Ein gemeinsames Abendessen krönte den erfolgreichen Tag.
A shared dinner crowned the successful day.
Compare with
krönen vs abschließen
to lock / to complete
'abschließen' and 'krönen' can both have to do with the end of something. 'abschließen' means, more neutrally, that an activity, project, or course of education is brought to an end. 'krönen' sounds more special: it means that something forms the successful highlight or especially beautiful conclusion. Learners may confuse the words because both can stand at the end of something. As a guide: you complete a piece of work, but a special success can crown that work.
krönen
Ein gemeinsames Essen krönt den erfolgreichen Projekttag.
A meal together crowns the successful project day.
abschließen
Herr Hoffmann schließt die Reiseplanung heute im Gespräch mit dem Team ab.
Mr. Hoffmann completes the travel planning today in a discussion with the team.
In real life
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