treten
to step
To put a foot on something or move it in a certain direction.
EXAMPLE
Vorsicht, tritt nicht in die Pfütze!
Careful, don't step in the puddle!
treten
to step / kick
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Meanings
treten
to kick
To hit someone or something with your foot.
EXAMPLE
Er hat aus Wut gegen die Tür getreten.
He kicked the door out of anger.
in Kraft treten
to come into force
For a law or regulation: to become valid or effective.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Gesetz wird am ersten Januar in Kraft treten.
The new law will come into force on January first.
jemandem zu nahe treten
to offend someone
To unintentionally hurt or offend someone through a statement or action.
EXAMPLE
Ich wollte Ihnen mit meiner Kritik nicht zu nahe treten.
I didn't mean to offend you with my criticism.
zutage treten
to come to light
To become visible, obvious, or known.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Renovierung traten schwere Schäden am Fundament zutage.
During the renovation, serious damage to the foundation came to light.
auf der Stelle treten
to make no progress
To make no progress; to not get any further in a matter.
EXAMPLE
Bei den Verhandlungen treten wir seit Tagen auf der Stelle.
We have been making no progress in the negotiations for days.
Usage tips
Auxiliary verb: sein or haben
The perfect tense of 'treten' (to step/kick) is formed with 'sein' when it describes movement to a place. It is formed with 'haben' when it describes an action or a kick without a change of location.
EXAMPLE
Er ist mir aus Versehen auf den Fuß getreten.
He accidentally stepped on my foot.
Typical prepositions
When 'treten' (to step) means movement, it is usually followed by a preposition with the accusative that indicates direction. Common prepositions are 'in' (into), 'auf' (onto), 'an' (to/up to), or 'vor' (in front of).
EXAMPLE
Der Redner trat ans Pult.
The speaker stepped up to the lectern.
Accusative or preposition
In the meaning 'stoßen' (to hit/bump), 'treten' (to kick) can either have a direct accusative object or be used with the preposition 'gegen' + accusative (against).
EXAMPLE
Er hat den Ball mit voller Kraft getreten.
He kicked the ball with full force.
Fixed expression
The phrase 'in Kraft treten' (to come into force) is a fixed unit and is used in legal language. The subject is always a law, regulation, or rule.
EXAMPLE
Die neue Datenschutzverordnung ist letztes Jahr in Kraft getreten.
The new data protection regulation came into force last year.
Dative construction
In the idiom 'jemandem zu nahe treten' (to offend someone), the person whose feelings are hurt is always in the dative. The expression indicates that someone has unintentionally offended someone.
EXAMPLE
Entschuldigung, ich wollte Ihnen mit dieser Frage nicht zu nahe treten.
Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you with this question.
Sentence structure like a separable verb
In the expression 'zutage treten' (to come to light), 'zutage' behaves like a separable prefix. In a main clause it stands at the end; in a subordinate clause it stands together with the verb.
EXAMPLE
Erst nach Jahren traten die wahren Motive zutage.
Only after years did the true motives come to light.
Figurative meaning
The expression 'auf der Stelle treten' (to make no progress) is often used figuratively. It means that you are not making progress in a situation or on a project.
EXAMPLE
Wir diskutieren seit Stunden, aber treten bei diesem Thema auf der Stelle.
We have been discussing for hours, but we are making no progress on this topic.
Compare with
treten vs auftreten
to appear / occur
Treten can mean placing your foot on a specified surface or moving it in a particular direction, for example onto the ground. In this less common literal meaning, auftreten refers to placing or putting weight on the foot. In „auf etwas treten“, auf usually indicates the location; in auftreten, it is part of the verb.
treten
Nach der Verletzung trat er vorsichtig auf den weichen Teppich.
After the injury, he carefully stepped onto the soft carpet.
auftreten
Nach der Verletzung konnte er vorsichtig mit dem rechten Fuß auftreten.
After the injury, he was able to cautiously bear weight on his right foot.
In real life
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