to sacrifice
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to sacrifice
To voluntarily give up or devote something valuable, such as time, money, possessions, or one's own life, for a person, a cause, or a higher goal.
Sie opferte ihre gesamte Freizeit, um für die Aufnahmeprüfung zu lernen.
She sacrificed all her free time to study for the entrance exam.
The verb 'opfern' (to sacrifice) is closely related to the noun 'das Opfer' (the sacrifice/victim). 'Das Opfer' can mean both the offering that is sacrificed and the person who suffers something or gives themselves up.
Die Rettungskräfte brachten große persönliche Opfer, um den Menschen zu helfen.
The rescue workers made great personal sacrifices to help the people.
There are two typical sentence patterns: you can say 'etwas (Akkusativ) für jemanden/etwas (Akkusativ) opfern' (to sacrifice something for someone/something) or 'jemandem (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) opfern' (to sacrifice something to/for someone).
Er opferte seinen Job für seine Familie.
He sacrificed his job for his family.
Intangible, valuable things are often sacrificed. Typical combinations are 'Zeit opfern' (to sacrifice time), 'Geld opfern' (to sacrifice money), 'Energie opfern' (to sacrifice energy), or even 'sein Leben opfern' (to sacrifice one's life).
Die Eltern haben viel Geld für die Ausbildung ihrer Kinder geopfert.
The parents sacrificed a lot of money for their children's education.
The reflexive form 'sich opfern' (to volunteer oneself/to sacrifice oneself) is often used colloquially and ironically. It means that you voluntarily take on an unpopular task that no one else wants to do.
Wer opfert sich und holt die Getränke aus dem Keller?
Who will volunteer and get the drinks from the basement?
In the context of games such as chess, 'opfern' (to sacrifice) means to strategically give up a piece in order to gain an advantage. Watch for words like 'Schach' (chess), 'Bauer' (pawn), 'Figur' (piece), or 'Spiel' (game).
Um die Dame anzugreifen, musste er seinen Läufer opfern.
To attack the queen, he had to sacrifice his bishop.
to lose
'verlieren' and 'opfern' can both mean that you no longer have something afterwards. The difference is intention. 'verlieren' often happens unintentionally or against your will: you lose your key, your job, or your courage. 'opfern' is used when you voluntarily give up something valuable for someone or for a goal. Learners may confuse the words because in both cases something is gone. What matters is: with 'opfern', there is usually a purpose; with 'verlieren', not necessarily.
Mein Vater opfert viel Zeit, damit er seiner Familie helfen kann.
My father sacrifices a lot of time so that he can help his family.
Auf dem Weg nach Hause habe ich meinen Schlüssel verloren.
On the way home, I lost my key.