among themselves / one below another
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among themselves
Expresses a reciprocal relationship or action among the members of a group; with one another.
Die Kollegen im Team helfen sich untereinander bei schwierigen Aufgaben.
The colleagues on the team help one another with difficult tasks.
The word is composed of 'unter' (under / among) and 'einander' (each other). 'Einander' means 'each other', so 'untereinander' describes a relationship or arrangement 'among themselves', 'one below another', or 'among the members of a group'.
Die Geschwister verstehen sich untereinander sehr gut.
The siblings get along very well with one another.
The verb in the sentence reveals the meaning. Verbs of interaction, e.g. 'reden' (to talk), 'helfen' (to help), 'streiten' (to argue), point to the reciprocal relationship. Verbs of arrangement, e.g. 'schreiben' (to write), 'ordnen' (to arrange), 'stapeln' (to stack), point to the spatial position.
Die Teammitglieder haben die Aufgaben untereinander aufgeteilt.
The team members divided the tasks among themselves.
In the meaning 'miteinander' (with one another), 'untereinander' often emphasizes that an action takes place within a specific, closed group. It excludes people from outside being involved.
Das Problem wurde nur untereinander im Vorstand besprochen.
The problem was discussed only among themselves on the board.
with each other
'miteinander' and 'untereinander' can both express a reciprocal relationship or action between people. 'miteinander' sounds more general and emphasizes that people do something together or are in contact. 'untereinander' fits especially well when you mean relationships within a group, for example among colleagues, students, or friends. Learners may confuse the words because both are often used with several people. As a simple guide: 'miteinander' is closer to 'together', while 'untereinander' is closer to 'within the group'.
Die Schüler teilen das Geld für das Geschenk untereinander auf.
The students split the money for the gift among themselves.
Nach dem Unterricht sprechen wir im Zug ruhig miteinander.
After class, we talk quietly with each other on the train.