to overcome
Loading your saved state.
to overcome
To successfully cope with a difficulty, obstacle, or negative feeling such as fear or grief.
Es hat lange gedauert, bis sie den Schock über den Unfall überwinden konnte.
It took a long time before she was able to overcome the shock of the accident.
'Überwinden' (to overcome) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'über-' is not stressed and remains firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms.
Sie überwindet ihre Prüfungsangst mit Atemübungen.
She overcomes her exam anxiety with breathing exercises.
The past participle is 'überwunden' (overcome), without the prefix 'ge-'. Since the verb is inseparable, no 'ge-' is added. The form 'geüberwunden' is incorrect.
Er hat seine anfängliche Schüchternheit schnell überwunden.
He quickly overcame his initial shyness.
In its main meaning, 'überwinden' is usually used with abstract, negative concepts as the object. Typical examples are: 'eine Angst überwinden' (to overcome a fear), 'eine Krankheit überwinden' (to overcome an illness), 'eine Krise überwinden' (to overcome a crisis), or 'ein Hindernis überwinden' (to overcome an obstacle).
Gemeinsam haben sie die wirtschaftlichen Schwierigkeiten überwunden.
Together they overcame the economic difficulties.
The reflexive form 'sich überwinden' means to force oneself to do something. It is often followed by an infinitive construction with 'zu' that describes what one does.
Er konnte sich nicht überwinden, die Spinne anzufassen.
He couldn't force himself to touch the spider.
to fight
'kämpfen' and 'überwinden' can both have to do with difficulties. 'kämpfen' describes the process: you are making an effort and are still in the middle of the problem. You can 'gegen Angst kämpfen' (fight against fear) or 'mit einer schwierigen Situation kämpfen' (struggle with a difficult situation). 'überwinden' is more about success: in the end, the difficulty, fear, or obstacle is behind you. You can also 'überwinden' a distance or barrier. Learners may confuse the words because both fit with problems. Remember: with 'Kämpfen', the struggle is still important; with 'Überwinden', the goal has been reached or is being reached.
Im Urlaub haben wir den steilen Bergpass mit dem Fahrrad überwunden.
On vacation, we got over the steep mountain pass by bike.
Vor dem Termin kämpft sie mit ihrer Nervosität.
Before the appointment, she struggles with her nervousness.