landen
to land
To deliberately touch down from the air on the ground or another surface with an airplane, spacecraft, or as a bird.
EXAMPLE
Das Flugzeug aus München ist pünktlich gelandet.
The plane from Munich landed on time.
landen
to land
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Meanings
landen
to end up
Colloquial for arriving or ending up at a certain place, often by chance or unplanned.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Fahrt sind wir schließlich in einem kleinen Dorf gelandet.
After the long drive, we eventually ended up in a small village.
landen
to land
Colloquial for successfully achieving or getting something, e.g. a job or a success.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat mit ihrer Bewerbung einen echten Volltreffer gelandet.
With her application, she landed a real bull's-eye.
landen
to end up
Used for objects that fall or are thrown somewhere and remain lying there.
EXAMPLE
Der Brief ist versehentlich im Müll gelandet.
The letter accidentally ended up in the trash.
landen
to land
To dock on the coast with a ship or boat.
EXAMPLE
Die Fähre landet in wenigen Minuten am Pier.
The ferry will land at the pier in a few minutes.
Usage tips
Perfect tense with 'sein'
'Landen' (to land) describes movement or a change of location. Therefore, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), never with 'haben' (to have). This applies to all meanings of the word.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind gestern Abend sicher in Berlin gelandet.
We landed safely in Berlin yesterday evening.
Word family
The verb 'landen' (to land) is related to the noun 'das Land' (land/country). The act of landing is described by the noun 'die Landung' (landing). This connection helps you understand the basic meaning.
EXAMPLE
Die Landung des Flugzeugs war sehr sanft.
The landing of the plane was very smooth.
Context clue: the subject
The subject of the sentence gives an important clue to the meaning. If it is an airplane, a bird, or a ship, the literal meaning is meant. If people or objects are the subject, it is often a figurative, colloquial meaning.
EXAMPLE
Der Falke ist auf dem Baum gelandet.
The falcon landed on the tree.
Prepositions with landing
In the literal meaning of landing, the location is usually given with the prepositions 'in' + dative (for cities, countries) or 'auf' + dative (for airports, runways).
EXAMPLE
Die Maschine aus New York landet auf dem Flughafen Frankfurt.
The plane from New York is landing at Frankfurt Airport.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'to successfully achieve something', 'landen' (to land) is often used with an accusative object in fixed collocations. Typical examples are 'einen Treffer landen' (to score a hit), 'einen Erfolg landen' (to achieve a success), or 'einen Hit landen' (to land a hit).
EXAMPLE
Mit diesem Produkt hat die Firma einen großen Erfolg gelandet.
With this product, the company achieved a great success.
Compare with
landen vs bekommen
to get / receive
When talking about a job, “bekommen” and “landen” can both express successfully obtaining one. “Bekommen” is neutral, while “landen” sounds colloquial and places more emphasis on the success or fortunate outcome. “Bekommen” suits a factual statement, while “landen” suggests a particularly successful result.
landen
Trotz der starken Konkurrenz landete Nina eine begehrte Stelle.
Despite the strong competition, Nina landed a coveted position.
bekommen
Nach mehreren Bewerbungen bekam Nina eine neue Stelle.
After applying for several jobs, Nina got a new position.
In real life
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