wirken
to seem
To make a certain impression or to look as if one had a certain quality.
EXAMPLE
Obwohl sie nervös war, wirkte sie nach außen hin sehr ruhig.
Although she was nervous, she seemed very calm on the outside.
wirken
to seem / take effect
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
wirken
to take effect
To have an effect or impact on something or someone.
EXAMPLE
Die Kopfschmerztablette sollte in etwa 20 Minuten wirken.
The headache tablet should take effect in about 20 minutes.
wirken
to be active
To be professionally or creatively active in a particular place or field.
EXAMPLE
Der berühmte Architekt wirkte hauptsächlich in den 1920er Jahren in Wien.
The famous architect was active mainly in Vienna in the 1920s.
wirken
to warp-knit
A textile activity in which loops and thus a fabric are produced by interlacing a thread; a form of knitting or weaving.
EXAMPLE
In der alten Manufaktur wurde Seide zu feinen Stoffen gewirkt.
In the old manufactory, silk was warp-knitted into fine fabrics.
Usage tips
False friend
'Wirken' does not mean 'to work' in the sense of having a job. If you want to say 'I work at a bank,' you have to say 'Ich arbeite bei einer Bank.' 'Wirken' describes an effect or a creative activity.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder arbeitet als Ingenieur bei einer großen Firma.
My brother works as an engineer at a large company.
Word family
'Wirken' is closely related to 'die Wirkung' (the effect) and 'wirklich' (real/really). All of these words have the core idea that something has an effect or creates reality.
EXAMPLE
Die Wirkung des Medikaments setzte schnell ein.
The effect of the medication set in quickly.
Sentence structure and use
To describe an impression, you use the structure 'wirken + adjective' or 'wirken wie + noun.' It describes how someone or something seems to others.
EXAMPLE
Du wirkst heute sehr nachdenklich.
You seem very thoughtful today.
Correct preposition
When something has an effect, 'wirken' is often used with prepositions. You say 'wirken gegen etwas' (to work against something, e.g. an illness) or 'wirken auf etwas' (to have an effect on something).
EXAMPLE
Dieser Tee wirkt gut gegen Erkältungen.
This tea works well against colds.
Register and context
This meaning of 'wirken' is mostly used for creative or intellectual activities by important people, such as artists, scientists, or authors. It sounds more elevated than 'arbeiten' (to work).
EXAMPLE
Die Philosophin Hannah Arendt wirkte viele Jahre in den USA.
The philosopher Hannah Arendt was active in the USA for many years.
Compare with
arbeitenscheinenhelfenfunktionierenschauenklingenaussehenerscheinenausnehmenanfühlenausstrahlenanschlagenzündenstrickenwaltenanmutenrüberkommenwebendaherkommen
wirken vs arbeiten
to work
Arbeiten neutrally describes having a job. Wirken can also refer to professional activity, but it tends to emphasize a longer-term role in a particular place or field of activity. For simply stating someone’s occupation, arbeiten is the better choice; for a significant, longer-term engagement, wirken may be more appropriate.
wirken
Mara wirkte dreißig Jahre lang als Ärztin in dieser Stadt.
Mara worked as a doctor in this city for thirty years.
arbeiten
Mara arbeitet seit drei Monaten als Ärztin in dieser Stadt.
Mara has been working as a doctor in this city for three months.
In real life
Loading video examples...