to grab / to understand
Loading your saved state.
to grab
To take something greedily and quickly for oneself, often in a dishonest way. It usually refers to money or valuables.
Er versuchte, so viel Geld wie möglich an sich zu raffen, bevor die Firma bankrottging.
He tried to grab as much money as possible before the company went bankrupt.
In this meaning, the phrase 'etwas an sich raffen' (to grab something for oneself) is often used. The addition 'an sich' emphasizes the selfish and greedy nature of the action.
Der Diktator raffte alle Schätze des Landes an sich.
The dictator grabbed all the country's treasures for himself.
The phrase 'sich aufraffen' (to pull oneself together) is reflexive and is often connected with a 'zu' + infinitive construction. It describes finding motivation for an unpleasant task.
Ich muss mich endlich aufraffen, die Steuererklärung zu machen.
I finally have to pull myself together and do my tax return.
You can picture 'sich aufraffen' (to pull oneself together) figuratively: 'raffen' means 'to gather together' or 'to grab.' You more or less grab yourself and pull yourself 'up' in order to become active.
Komm, raff dich auf, wir gehen eine Runde spazieren!
Come on, pull yourself together, we're going for a walk!
In the meaning 'to understand' or 'to grasp,' 'raffen' (to understand) is very colloquial. You should use it only in informal conversations with friends.
Erklär es mir nochmal langsam. Ich raff es einfach nicht.
Explain it to me again slowly. I just don't understand it.
The most literal meaning of 'raffen' (to gather up) refers to fabric. When dresses, skirts, or curtains are being discussed, it means to lift the fabric up or arrange it in folds.
Die Braut raffte ihr Kleid, um nicht darüber zu stolpern.
The bride gathered up her dress so she wouldn't trip over it.
The expression 'dahinraffen' (to carry off) is a separable verb and belongs to an elevated, literary style of language. It is used to express death through a disease or disaster.
Die Pest raffte einen großen Teil der Bevölkerung dahin.
The plague carried off a large part of the population.
to understand
'verstehen' and 'raffen' can both mean that you understand something. 'verstehen' is neutral and fits all normal situations, including school, work, or formal conversations. 'raffen' is colloquial and sounds very casual. It is often used when someone finally understands something after thinking about it for a while, or when you impatiently say that someone does not get something. In polite or official situations, you should generally say 'verstehen'. 'Raffen' only fits in familiar conversations.
Beim Einkaufen rafft der Fahrer plötzlich, dass er seine Liste zu Hause vergessen hat.
While shopping, the driver suddenly realizes that he has forgotten his list at home.
Wegen der lauten Musik hat die Fahrerin die Durchsage nicht verstanden.
Because of the loud music, the driver did not understand the announcement.