zunehmen
to gain weight
To gain body weight; to become heavier.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe im Urlaub leider drei Kilo zugenommen.
Unfortunately, I gained three kilos while on vacation.
zunehmen
to gain weight / increase
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Meanings
zunehmen
to increase
To grow in quantity, size, intensity, or strength; to rise.
EXAMPLE
Die Kriminalität in der Stadt hat in den letzten Jahren stark zugenommen.
Crime in the city has increased sharply in recent years.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Zunehmen' (to gain weight/increase) is a separable verb. The prefix 'zu-' goes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Der Wind nimmt am Abend stark zu.
The wind increases strongly in the evening.
Perfect tense with 'haben'
The perfect tense of 'zunehmen' (to gain weight/increase) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have). The past participle is 'zugenommen'.
EXAMPLE
Die Bevölkerung der Stadt hat im letzten Jahr zugenommen.
The city's population increased last year.
Typical collocations
When referring to body weight, 'zunehmen' (to gain weight) is often combined with quantities or the word 'Gewicht' (weight). Typical phrases are 'an Gewicht zunehmen' (to gain weight) or 'ein paar Kilo zunehmen' (to gain a few kilos).
EXAMPLE
Er hat durch den neuen Job viel an Gewicht zugenommen.
He gained a lot of weight because of the new job.
Context clue
You can recognize this meaning by the fact that the subject is usually an abstract noun. It describes an increase in something immaterial such as strength, quantity, or intensity.
EXAMPLE
Die Spannung im Raum nahm spürbar zu.
The tension in the room noticeably increased.
Compare with
zunehmen vs gewinnen
to win / gain
A rise in importance or demand can be described with gewinnen an or zunehmen. With gewinnen an, the quality or value follows an; with zunehmen, the growing quantity itself is the subject. Use both forms according to the sentence structure, without assuming a fixed difference in meaning.
zunehmen
Die Bedeutung des Themas nimmt durch die neuen Zahlen zu.
The importance of the topic is increasing because of the new figures.
gewinnen
Das Thema gewinnt durch die neuen Zahlen an Bedeutung.
The topic is gaining importance because of the new figures.
In real life
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