Sport treiben
to do sports
To be physically active; to regularly practice a sport.
EXAMPLE
Ich versuche, dreimal pro Woche Sport zu treiben.
I try to do sports three times a week.
treiben
to drive / drift
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Meanings
treiben
to drift
To let oneself be moved passively by the current of the water or by the wind.
EXAMPLE
Wir ließen uns mit dem Schlauchboot auf dem Fluss treiben.
We let ourselves drift down the river in the inflatable boat.
treiben
to drive
To move or herd animals in a certain direction.
EXAMPLE
Der Hirte treibt seine Herde auf eine neue Weide.
The shepherd drives his flock to a new pasture.
jemanden zu etwas treiben
to drive someone to something
To bring someone to a certain action through pressure or inner need.
EXAMPLE
Der Hunger trieb ihn dazu, Essen zu stehlen.
Hunger drove him to steal food.
treiben
to sprout
Of plants: to grow new leaves, shoots, or blossoms.
EXAMPLE
Die Knospen an den Bäumen fangen an zu treiben.
The buds on the trees are beginning to sprout.
Handel treiben
to trade
To do business; to trade in goods or services.
EXAMPLE
Schon im Mittelalter trieben die Städte regen Handel miteinander.
As early as the Middle Ages, the cities traded actively with one another.
es zu weit treiben
to go too far
To exceed a limit of what is acceptable or reasonable.
EXAMPLE
Mit seinen ständigen Witzen hat er es diesmal zu weit getrieben.
With his constant jokes, he went too far this time.
Unfug treiben
to get up to mischief
To do nonsense; to play silly or cheeky pranks.
EXAMPLE
Die Nachbarskinder haben schon wieder irgendeinen Unfug getrieben.
The neighborhood children have been getting up to some kind of mischief again.
Usage tips
Basic meaning
The basic idea of 'treiben' is to set something or someone in motion, or to move passively oneself. This idea appears in many meanings, from driving animals to drifting on water.
EXAMPLE
Der Wind treibt die Wolken vor sich her.
The wind drives the clouds ahead of it.
Auxiliary verb: haben or sein
The perfect tense of 'treiben' is usually formed with 'haben' (to have). However, if there is directed movement toward a destination, 'sein' (to be) is used.
EXAMPLE
Der Bauer hat seine Kühe auf die Weide getrieben.
The farmer drove his cows onto the pasture.
Fixed expression
'Sport treiben' is a fixed expression and means to be physically active. The noun 'Sport' is the direct object here.
EXAMPLE
Um fit zu bleiben, sollte man regelmäßig Sport treiben.
To stay fit, you should do sports regularly.
Reflexive use
In the meaning 'to move passively', the reflexive form 'sich treiben lassen' (to let oneself drift) is often used. This emphasizes that you give up control and let yourself be moved by water or by a mood.
EXAMPLE
Im Urlaub möchte ich mich einfach nur am Strand treiben lassen.
On vacation, I just want to let myself drift along at the beach.
Typical objects
When 'treiben' is used in the sense of 'to move ahead of oneself', the objects are usually groups of animals. Typical combinations are 'eine Herde treiben' (to drive a herd) or 'Vieh treiben' (to drive cattle).
EXAMPLE
Der Cowboy treibt die Rinderherde durch die Prärie.
The cowboy drives the herd of cattle through the prairie.
Sentence structure with preposition
This meaning often follows the pattern 'jemanden zu etwas treiben' (to drive someone to something). The preposition 'zu' with the dative introduces the action or state that the person is pushed toward.
EXAMPLE
Die Neugier trieb sie dazu, das alte Buch zu öffnen.
Curiosity drove her to open the old book.
Context: plants
In this context, the subjects are always plants or parts of plants. The verb can also be used with an accusative object to say what is growing, e.g., 'Blüten treiben' (to produce blossoms).
EXAMPLE
Im Frühling treiben die Bäume neue Blätter.
In spring, the trees produce new leaves.
Fixed expression
The combination 'Handel treiben' is a fixed expression for 'to do business'. It is often combined with a description of the trade, e.g., 'regen Handel treiben' (to engage in lively trade).
EXAMPLE
Die Hafenstadt treibt Handel mit der ganzen Welt.
The port city trades with the whole world.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'es zu weit treiben' (to go too far) is a fixed unit. The pronoun 'es' is a fixed component here and cannot be replaced.
EXAMPLE
Mit dieser unfairen Bemerkung hast du es wirklich zu weit getrieben.
With that unfair remark, you really went too far.
Fixed expression
'Unfug treiben' is a fixed collocation and means to do nonsense or play pranks. It is often used for children's behavior.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass die Kinder im Garten keinen Unfug treiben.
Make sure the children don't get up to any mischief in the garden.
Compare with
treiben vs machen
to do / make
Both expressions mean that someone does sports. „Sport machen“ sounds more relaxed and colloquial in conversation, while „Sport treiben“ is the established, somewhat more matter-of-fact expression. „Machen“ works well in a private conversation; „treiben“ is also suitable in a general recommendation or a factual text.
treiben
Der Arzt empfiehlt Lisa, regelmäßig Sport zu treiben.
The doctor recommends that Lisa exercise regularly.
machen
Nach der Arbeit macht Lisa gern Sport.
Lisa likes to exercise after work.
In real life
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