wegkommen
to disappear
To get lost; to no longer be findable.
EXAMPLE
Mir ist schon wieder ein Handschuh weggekommen.
I've lost a glove again.
wegkommen
to disappear / get away
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Meanings
wegkommen
to get away
To leave a place or have the opportunity to leave it.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss am Wochenende arbeiten und komme leider nicht weg.
I have to work on the weekend and unfortunately can't get away.
wegkommen
to come out
To be removable or come out, especially with dirt or stains.
EXAMPLE
Ich hoffe, der Rotweinfleck kommt beim Waschen wieder weg.
I hope the red wine stain comes out in the wash.
gut/schlecht wegkommen
to come off well/badly
To come out of an unpleasant or dangerous situation with little or significant damage.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Kritik ist der neue Film erstaunlich gut weggekommen.
The new film came off surprisingly well in the reviews.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Wegkommen' (to disappear / get away) is a separable verb. The prefix 'weg' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass dein Schlüssel nicht wegkommt.
Be careful that your key doesn't disappear.
Auxiliary verb 'sein'
Since 'kommen' (to come) describes movement or a change of state, the perfect tense of 'wegkommen' is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein'.
EXAMPLE
Mein Portemonnaie ist gestern im Bus weggekommen.
My wallet disappeared on the bus yesterday.
Dative construction
When something gets lost, the person who loses it is in the dative. The lost thing is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Mir ist mein Lieblingsstift weggekommen.
My favorite pen has disappeared on me.
Context clue
In this meaning, the subject of the sentence is always a stain, dirt, or something unwanted that is supposed to be removed.
EXAMPLE
Der Kaffeefleck auf dem Hemd kommt einfach nicht weg.
The coffee stain on the shirt just won't come out.
Fixed expression
The meaning 'to come out of a situation' is almost always combined with an adverb such as 'gut' (well), 'schlecht' (badly), 'billig' (cheaply/lightly), or 'glimpflich' (lightly/without serious harm).
EXAMPLE
Der Autofahrer ist bei dem Unfall mit nur leichten Verletzungen glimpflich weggekommen.
The driver came out of the accident with only minor injuries.
Compare with
wegkommen vs verschwinden
to disappear
Verschwinden and wegkommen can both mean that something can no longer be found. Verschwinden puts more emphasis on suddenly no longer being there. Wegkommen more strongly suggests that the object has been lost or gone missing.
wegkommen
Beim Umzug ist mein Schlüssel weggekommen.
My key went missing during the move.
verschwinden
Nach der Feier war mein Schlüssel plötzlich verschwunden.
After the party, my key had suddenly disappeared.
In real life
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