to be sold out / to help oneself to
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to be sold out
To no longer be in stock or available because everything has been sold. Often used for books, tickets, or special offers.
Die Konzertkarten waren leider schon nach einer Stunde vergriffen.
Unfortunately, the concert tickets were sold out after just one hour.
to help oneself to
To take something without permission or help oneself to something, often food.
Wer hat sich schon wieder an den Keksen in der Vorratsdose vergriffen?
Who has been helping themselves to the cookies in the storage tin again?
to use the wrong tone
To choose inappropriate, insulting, or disrespectful words and thereby violate an appropriate way of communicating.
Er hat sich in der Diskussion völlig im Ton vergriffen und musste sich später entschuldigen.
He used completely the wrong tone in the discussion and had to apologize later.
to assault
To physically or sexually attack someone; to become violent toward someone.
Es ist ein schweres Verbrechen, sich an Kindern zu vergreifen.
It is a serious crime to assault children.
The verb 'vergreifen' is inseparable. The prefix 'ver-' remains firmly attached to the stem 'greifen' in all tenses and sentence constructions.
Er hat sich gestern Abend im Ton vergriffen.
He used the wrong tone last night.
In most meanings, 'vergreifen' is a reflexive verb and is used with 'sich' (oneself). The only exception is the participle form 'vergriffen sein' (to be sold out).
Du solltest dich nicht einfach an den Sachen anderer Leute vergreifen.
You shouldn't just help yourself to other people's things.
When expressing what or whom someone 'sich vergreift an' (helps themselves to/assaults), the preposition 'an' is used with the dative. This applies both to taking things without permission and to attacks on people.
Er hat sich an den Vorräten für die Party vergriffen.
He helped himself to the supplies for the party.
The form 'vergriffen sein' (to be sold out) describes a state and is formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be). It means that a product is sold out.
Das neue Buch war innerhalb eines Tages komplett vergriffen.
The new book was completely sold out within one day.
The phrase 'sich im Ton vergreifen' (to use the wrong tone) is a fixed expression. It means that someone uses inappropriate, insulting, or disrespectful wording.
Der Politiker hat sich bei der Pressekonferenz im Ton vergriffen.
The politician used the wrong tone at the press conference.
sold out
Ausverkauft and vergriffen mean here that nothing is left available because everything has been sold. Ausverkauft is generally used for products and events. Vergriffen is used especially for goods such as books or particular editions that are no longer in stock.
Die neue Ausgabe des vorgestellten Buches ist bereits vergriffen.
The new edition of the book being discussed is already sold out.
Für die heutige Lesung sind bereits alle Plätze ausverkauft.
All seats for today's reading are already sold out.
