to obtain / to provide
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to obtain
To get or acquire something for oneself, often with a certain amount of effort. This can refer to concrete things or abstract concepts such as an overview or clarity.
Ich muss mir erst einmal einen Überblick über die neue Situation verschaffen.
I first need to obtain an overview of the new situation.
to provide
To get something for another person or make it possible for them to access something.
Mein Kollege hat mir Zugang zu den wichtigen Dokumenten verschafft.
My colleague provided me with access to the important documents.
to gain a hearing/respect
To make sure that one is noticed, listened to, or respected by others.
In der lauten Diskussion musste sie ihre Stimme erheben, um sich Gehör zu verschaffen.
In the loud discussion, she had to raise her voice in order to gain a hearing.
The verb 'verschaffen' (to obtain / to provide) is inseparable. The prefix 'ver-' stays firmly attached to the verb 'schaffen' in all sentence forms and tenses.
Er hat sich schnell einen Überblick verschafft.
He quickly obtained an overview.
'Verschaffen' is almost always used with a person in the dative (to whom?) and a thing in the accusative (what?). This also applies to the reflexive form 'sich etwas verschaffen' (to obtain something for oneself), where 'sich' is the dative object.
Kannst du mir bitte die nötigen Informationen verschaffen?
Can you please provide me with the necessary information?
In the reflexive form, 'sich verschaffen' is often used with abstract nouns to express that someone is making an effort to gain understanding or a better position. Typical examples are: 'sich einen Überblick verschaffen' (to get an overview), 'sich Klarheit verschaffen' (to gain clarity), 'sich einen Vorteil verschaffen' (to gain an advantage).
Bevor wir entscheiden, müssen wir uns Klarheit über die Kosten verschaffen.
Before we decide, we need to gain clarity about the costs.
The verb occurs especially often in the fixed expressions 'sich Gehör verschaffen' (to gain a hearing/make oneself heard) and 'sich Respekt verschaffen' (to gain respect). These mean actively making sure that one is heard or respected.
Die neue Chefin musste sich erst Respekt bei den Mitarbeitern verschaffen.
The new boss first had to gain the employees' respect.
to enable
Both words can express that a person gains access to something. „Ermöglichen“ mainly describes creating the conditions so that something can happen, while „verschaffen“ suggests more strongly that the other person actually receives access. Use „ermöglichen“ for the possibility and „verschaffen“ for the achieved result.
Die neuen Öffnungszeiten verschaffen den Kunden leichteren Zugang zur Ausstellung.
The new opening hours give customers easier access to the exhibition.
Die neuen Öffnungszeiten ermöglichen den Kunden den Zugang zur Ausstellung.
The new opening hours enable customers to access the exhibition.
