sich lehnen
to lean
To place one's body at an angle against something in order to find support and prop oneself up.
EXAMPLE
Er lehnte sich erschöpft gegen die Wand.
Exhausted, he leaned against the wall.
lehnen
to lean
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Meanings
lehnen
to lean
To place an object at an angle against something so that it is supported by it.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du die Leiter bitte an den Baum lehnen?
Can you please lean the ladder against the tree?
sich zu weit aus dem Fenster lehnen
to go out on a limb
An idiom meaning to make too bold a claim, take too great a risk, or overstep one's authority.
EXAMPLE
Mit der Vorhersage, dass die Aktie um 50 % steigen wird, lehnst du dich sehr weit aus dem Fenster.
By predicting that the stock will rise by 50%, you're really going out on a limb.
Usage tips
Reflexive vs. transitive
Pay attention to the difference: 'sich lehnen' (to lean oneself; reflexive) means that a person supports their own body against something. 'Etwas lehnen' (to lean something; transitive) means that you place an object against something.
EXAMPLE
Sie lehnte sich müde an meine Schulter.
She leaned tiredly on my shoulder.
Correct preposition
The verb 'lehnen' (to lean) is almost always used with a preposition that indicates the supporting surface. The most common are 'an' or 'gegen', followed by the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Lehn dich nicht gegen die frisch gestrichene Wand!
Don't lean against the freshly painted wall!
Fixed expression
The idiom 'sich zu weit aus dem Fenster lehnen' (to lean too far out of the window) is a fixed unit. It is used metaphorically and means that someone says or does something too risky.
EXAMPLE
Mit dieser gewagten Prognose lehnst du dich wirklich weit aus dem Fenster.
With this bold forecast, you're really going out on a limb.
Compare with
lehnen vs stützen
to support / lean
Here, lehnen describes an object's slanted position against a surface that supports it. Stützen, on the other hand, means actively holding an object in place or protecting it from falling over with an additional structure.
lehnen
Die Leiter lehnt schräg an der Hauswand.
The ladder is leaning at an angle against the wall of the house.
stützen
Eine feste Strebe stützt die Leiter, damit sie nicht umfällt.
A sturdy brace supports the ladder so that it does not fall over.
In real life
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