stoßen
to bump / push
To push, hit, or ram someone or something with a short, forceful movement.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass du nicht gegen den Tisch stößt.
Be careful not to bump into the table.
stoßen
to push / bump / come across
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Meanings
sich stoßen
to bump oneself
To accidentally hit a body part against an obstacle and injure yourself in the process.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mir im Dunkeln den Kopf am Türrahmen gestoßen.
I bumped my head on the doorframe in the dark.
stoßen auf
to come across
To find or encounter someone or something by chance.
EXAMPLE
Bei den Aufräumarbeiten sind wir auf alte Liebesbriefe gestoßen.
While cleaning up, we came across old love letters.
stoßen zu
to join
To join an already existing group or company.
EXAMPLE
Wir fangen schon mal an, sie wird später zu uns stoßen.
We'll go ahead and start; she'll join us later.
stoßen an
to border on
To directly border on something; to share a boundary.
EXAMPLE
Unser Grundstück stößt direkt an den Wald.
Our property borders directly on the forest.
stoßen
to push
To bring something into a certain direction or state by pushing it.
EXAMPLE
Er stieß die Tür mit dem Fuß auf und stürmte ins Zimmer.
He pushed the door open with his foot and stormed into the room.
stoßen
to crush
To crush something hard in a mortar or process it into powder.
EXAMPLE
Für das Pesto müssen die Pinienkerne zuerst gestoßen werden.
For the pesto, the pine nuts must first be crushed.
Usage tips
Auxiliary verb: haben or sein
The verb 'stoßen' (to push/bump) can be used with 'haben' or 'sein'. 'Haben' is used for the active action (intentionally pushing someone). 'Sein' is used for an unintentional collision or a chance discovery.
EXAMPLE
Er hat seinen Gegner zu Boden gestoßen.
He pushed his opponent to the ground.
Prepositions change the meaning
The meaning of 'stoßen' changes completely depending on the preposition. Pay close attention to whether the verb is combined with 'auf', 'zu', or 'an', because this creates completely new, figurative meanings.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind bei der Wanderung auf eine seltene Pflanze gestoßen.
We came across a rare plant during the hike.
Reflexive construction
When you accidentally injure yourself, a special reflexive construction is used. The person is in the dative, and the body part is in the accusative: 'sich (dative) + Körperteil (body part, accusative) + stoßen' (to bump a body part).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mir den Ellbogen am Tisch gestoßen.
I bumped my elbow on the table.
Typical collocations
The expression 'auf etwas stoßen' (to come across something / meet with something) is very often used figuratively. Typical combinations are 'auf Widerstand stoßen' (to meet with resistance), 'auf Kritik stoßen' (to meet with criticism), or 'auf Zustimmung stoßen' (to meet with approval).
EXAMPLE
Sein Vorschlag stieß im Team auf große Begeisterung.
His suggestion met with great enthusiasm in the team.
Joining a group
When you join a group that is already there, you use the fixed expression 'zu jemandem/etwas stoßen' (to join someone/something). The separable verb 'dazustoßen' (to join in / join later) is often used for this as well.
EXAMPLE
Wir sitzen schon im Café, du kannst einfach zu uns stoßen.
We're already sitting in the café; you can just join us.
Geographic context
The meaning 'angrenzen' (to border on) is used almost exclusively in a spatial or geographic context to describe the boundaries of properties, gardens, or countries.
EXAMPLE
Unser Garten stößt an ein kleines Waldstück.
Our garden borders on a small piece of woodland.
Context: cooking
The meaning 'zerkleinern' (to crush) is specific to cooking or pharmacy. It is used when you crush hard ingredients such as spices, herbs, or nuts in a mortar.
EXAMPLE
Für das Curry müssen die Gewürze frisch gestoßen werden.
For the curry, the spices must be freshly crushed.
Compare with
stoßen vs finden
to find
Finden can refer to finding something deliberately or by chance. Auf etwas stoßen places more emphasis on discovering something unexpectedly while doing something else. Finden fits when you are searching; when something turns up in passing, „auf etwas stoßen“ is especially appropriate.
stoßen
Beim Aufräumen stieß ich auf die alte Rechnung.
While tidying up, I came across the old invoice.
finden
Beim Suchen nach dem Ordner fand ich die alte Rechnung.
While looking for the folder, I found the old invoice.
In real life
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