sich treffen
to meet
To come together with someone, either by arrangement or by chance.
EXAMPLE
Ich treffe mich heute Abend mit Freunden im Kino.
I'm meeting friends at the cinema this evening.
treffen
to meet / to hit
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Meanings
treffen
to hit
To reach a target accurately with a shot, throw, or strike.
EXAMPLE
Der Pfeil hat genau die Mitte der Scheibe getroffen.
The arrow hit exactly the center of the target.
eine Entscheidung treffen
to make a decision
To choose one of several options; to come to a decision.
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen bis morgen eine endgültige Entscheidung treffen.
We have to make a final decision by tomorrow.
treffen
to affect
To touch, affect, or concern someone or something, often negatively, emotionally or physically.
EXAMPLE
Die Nachricht von seiner Krankheit hat uns alle tief getroffen.
The news of his illness deeply affected us all.
es trifft sich gut/schlecht
to be convenient/inconvenient
An impersonal expression used to say that a time or situation is convenient or inconvenient.
EXAMPLE
Es trifft sich gut, dass du gerade anrufst, ich wollte dich auch etwas fragen.
It's convenient that you're calling right now; I wanted to ask you something too.
treffen
to capture
To guess, find, or capture something, often the right thing or the essence of a matter.
EXAMPLE
Mit dieser Beschreibung hast du seinen Charakter perfekt getroffen.
With this description, you captured his character perfectly.
Usage tips
Reflexive vs. non-reflexive
It is important to distinguish between 'sich treffen' (to meet) and 'treffen' (to hit/affect). 'Sich treffen' means that two or more people meet. 'Jemanden/etwas treffen' means to hit a target or to affect someone.
EXAMPLE
Ich treffe mich heute mit einem Freund.
I'm meeting a friend today.
Sentence structure with 'sich treffen'
When arranging to meet with a person, you use the preposition 'mit' (+ dative). The place of the meeting is often given with 'an' or 'in' (+ dative).
EXAMPLE
Wir treffen uns morgen mit den Kollegen.
We're meeting with the colleagues tomorrow.
Fixed collocations
'Treffen' is part of many fixed noun-verb collocations. The most common are 'eine Entscheidung treffen' (to make a decision), 'Vorbereitungen treffen' (to make preparations), and 'eine Vereinbarung treffen' (to make an agreement).
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen für die Party noch einige Vorbereitungen treffen.
We still have to make some preparations for the party.
Emotional meaning
In a figurative sense, 'treffen' (to affect/hit) can touch someone emotionally, usually negatively. It is often combined with adverbs such as 'tief' (deeply), 'hart' (hard), or 'persönlich' (personally).
EXAMPLE
Seine unfreundlichen Worte haben sie sehr getroffen.
Her unfriendly words affected her deeply.
Impersonal expression
The impersonal expression 'Es trifft sich gut/schlecht, dass ...' (It is convenient/inconvenient that ...) is used to say that a time or situation is suitable or unsuitable.
EXAMPLE
Es trifft sich gut, dass du da bist, du kannst mir helfen.
It's convenient that you're here; you can help me.
Hitting a target
In the literal sense, 'treffen' means to hit a target, for example with a ball, arrow, or shot. A well-known idiom for this is 'ins Schwarze treffen' (to hit the bullseye).
EXAMPLE
Die Bogenschützin hat mit jedem Pfeil ins Schwarze getroffen.
The archer hit the bullseye with every arrow.
Capturing the essence
'Treffen' can also mean that you guess something correctly or capture the most important point of a matter exactly. A very common idiom is 'den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen' (to hit the nail on the head).
EXAMPLE
Mit deiner Bemerkung hast du den Nagel auf den Kopf getroffen.
With your remark, you hit the nail on the head.
Compare with
sehenTerminbetreffenSitzungerwischenVersammlungberührenkennenlernenBegegnungbegegnenantreffenTreffZusammentreffenZusammenkunftanschießenVerabredungRendezvousBeisammensein
treffen vs sehen
to see
Sich sehen and sich treffen can both express meeting someone. „Sich treffen“ puts more emphasis on coming together, whether by arrangement or by chance, whereas „sich sehen“ focuses more on the encounter or seeing each other again. Use „treffen“ for an arrangement and „sehen“ for the contact itself.
treffen
Nach der Arbeit treffen wir uns im Café.
After work, we'll meet at the café.
sehen
Nach der Arbeit sehen wir uns im Café.
After work, we'll see each other at the café.
In real life
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