01
verkleben
to glue
To attach something to another surface with adhesive or to connect two things together.
example
Er hat die beiden Holzteile sorgfältig miteinander verklebt.
He carefully glued the two wooden pieces together.
verkleben
to glue / stick
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The verb is made up of the prefix 'ver-' and the verb 'kleben' (to stick). The prefix indicates that something is connected, closed, or brought into a sticky state.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass du die Seiten nicht aus Versehen verklebst.
Be careful not to accidentally glue the pages together.
Inseparable verb
The prefix 'ver-' is inseparable. It remains at the beginning of the verb in all sentence forms and tenses.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe das Poster an die Wand verklebt.
I glued the poster to the wall.
Sentence structure
When connecting two things together, you often use the structure 'etwas mit etwas verkleben' (to glue something to/with something) or 'zwei Dinge miteinander verkleben' (to glue two things together).
EXAMPLE
Für das Modellbau-Projekt müssen wir viele kleine Teile miteinander verkleben.
For the model-building project, we have to glue many small parts together.
Adjectival use
The past participle 'verklebt' (stuck together/sticky) is very often used as an adjective to describe a state. Especially typical are 'verklebte Augen' (eyes stuck together, after sleeping) or 'verklebte Haare' (sticky hair, from gel or sweat).
EXAMPLE
Am Morgen fühlten sich seine Augen ganz verklebt an.
In the morning, his eyes felt completely stuck together.
Context clue
This meaning is limited to the medical field. You can recognize it by the fact that the object is a wound, a cut, or a similar injury.
EXAMPLE
Der Arzt konnte den tiefen Schnitt am Finger einfach verkleben.
The doctor was able to simply glue the deep cut on his finger shut.
Compare with
verkleben vs befestigen
to attach / fortify
'befestigen' and 'verkleben' can both mean that something is attached to something else. 'befestigen' is more general and does not say what method is used. 'verkleben' is more specific: it is done with glue or an adhesive surface. You can 'ein Poster befestigen' (attach a poster), for example with tape, nails, or clips. If glue is the important method, it is better to say 'verkleben'.
verkleben
Vor der Reise verklebst du das Paket mit breitem Klebeband.
Before the trip, you seal the package with wide packing tape.
befestigen
Zu Hause hat Anna den Kalender neben der Tür befestigt.
At home, Anna attached the calendar next to the door.
In real life
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