to enrich oneself
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to enrich oneself
To enrich oneself; to increase one's own wealth, often at the expense of others or in a dishonest way.
Man warf dem Manager vor, sich auf Kosten der Firma gereichert zu haben.
The manager was accused of having enriched himself at the company's expense.
The verb 'reichern' is derived from the adjective 'reich' (rich). It describes the process of becoming rich or making something rich.
Er träumte davon, sich schnell zu reichern.
He dreamed of enriching himself quickly.
In this meaning, the verb is almost always used reflexively: 'sich reichern' (to enrich oneself). The subject is therefore also the object of the action — the person makes themselves rich.
Der Diktator hat sich jahrelang am Volk gereichert.
The dictator enriched himself off the people for years.
It is often stated from what or at whose expense the enrichment takes place. For this, German uses the prepositions 'an' with the dative or the phrase 'auf Kosten von' with the genitive.
Er hat sich an den Bodenschätzen des Landes gereichert.
He enriched himself from the country's natural resources.
The verb 'sich reichern' (to enrich oneself) has a strongly negative connotation. It implies that the wealth was gained in an unfair, immoral, or illegal way.
Ihm wurde vorgeworfen, sich durch Korruption gereichert zu haben.
He was accused of having enriched himself through corruption.
to enrich
Sich bereichern and sich reichern both refer here to increasing one’s own wealth for selfish, often dishonest reasons. Sich bereichern is the standard form used today; sich reichern is rare and dated in this meaning and is more likely to appear in older texts.
In einem alten Bericht heißt es, der Beamte reichere sich auf Kosten der Bürger.
An old report says that the official was enriching himself at the citizens’ expense.
Der Beamte bereichert sich heimlich auf Kosten der Bürger.
The official is secretly enriching himself at the citizens’ expense.
