nehmen

Inherited from Middle High German nëmen, from Old High German neman, from Proto-West Germanic *neman, from Proto-Germanic *nemaną, from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (“to give or take ones due”).

Cognate with Low German nehmen (“to take”), Dutch nemen (“to take”), English nim (“to take, filch”), Danish nemme (“to learn, grasp”), Swedish förnimma (“to perceive”). More at nim.

• IPA^(key): /ˈneːmən/, ,

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: neh‧men

nehmen (class 4 strong, third-person singular present nimmt, past tense nahm, past participle genommen, past subjunctive nähme, auxiliary haben)

1. (transitive) to take (something into one's possession or on one's body)

   Wer hat meinen Hut genommen?

   Who took my hat?

   • 1798, “Wold und Ostar, zwo altteutsche Gottheiten, von Karl, Freyherrn v. Münchhausen”, in Bragur. Ein Literarisches Magazin der Teutschen und Nordischen Vorzeit. Herausgegeben von F. D. Gräter. Sechster Band. Erste Abtheilung. – Braga und Hermode oder Neues Magazin für die vaterländischen Alterthümer der Sprache, Kunst und Sitten. Herausgegeben von F. D. Gräter. Dritter Band. Erste Abtheilung, Leipzig, page 23:

     Hierauf nehmen sie des Getränks, es sey Bier, Brandwein oder Milch, was jeder gerade in Händen hat, tröpfeln etwas davon auf den Acker, trinken, schwingen die Hüthe, werfen sie auch wohl in die Höhe, schlagen wieder dreymal an die Sense und rufen aus vollem Halse: Wold! Wold! Wold!!

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (ditransitive) to take from

   Die Niederlage nahm der Mannschaft den Mut.

   The team's defeat robbed them of their courage.

3. (transitive) to hold (in one's hands), to grasp

   Hier, nimm meine Hand.

   Here, take my hand.

4. (transitive) to take, to consider (a statement, a situation, an idea, etc, in a certain way, for example seriously, badly, personally)

   Die Polizei nimmt die Angriffe ernst.

   The police are taking the attacks seriously.

   Ich nehme diese Bemerkung übel.

   I resent (take as offensive) that remark.

   Das ist eine Redewendung, also sollte man sie nicht wörtlich nehmen.

   That's a figure of speech so you shouldn't take it literally.

5. (transitive) to capture, to arrest

   Die Verbrecher wurden in Gewahrsam genommen.

   The criminals were taken into custody.

6. (transitive) to ingest (e.g. a pill)

   Nimm etwas Aspirin, wenn du Kopfschmerzen hast.

   Take some aspirin if you have a headache.

7. (transitive) to move into, to sit at (one's assigned position)

   Meine Damen und Herren, bitte nehmen Sie Ihre Plätze.

   Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.

8. (transitive, dative reflexive) to use (time, effort, etc. for a specific purpose)

   Du solltest dir etwas Zeit nehmen, um dich zu entspannen.

   You should take some time to relax.

9. (transitive, with certain nouns) To begin or cause the action implied by a noun to take place, possibly making the sentence more passive or indirect.

   Abschied nehmen ― to say goodbye (literally, “to take farewell”)

   Abstand nehmen ― to refrain (literally, “to take distance”)

   seinen Anfang nehmen ― to begin (literally, “to take its beginning”)

   Anstoß nehmen ― to take offense

   ein Beispiel nehmen ― to follow an example (literally, “to take an example”)

   Einfluss nehmen ― to exert influence (literally, “to take influence”)

   ein Ende nehmen ― to come to an end (literally, “to take an end”)

   seinen Lauf nehmen ― to run its course (literally, “to take its run”)

   das Leben nehmen ― to kill (literally, “to take the life”)

   Maß nehmen ― to take a measurement

   Notiz nehmen ― to take notice

   Rücksicht nehmen ― to consider (literally, “to take consideration”)

   Stellung nehmen ― to comment (literally, “to take position”)

   einen Verlauf nehmen ― to follow a course (literally, “to take a course”)

   sich Zeit nehmen ― to allow sufficient time (literally, “to take oneself time”)

10. (reflexive) to cause oneself to be (in some state); to become; to take oneself (to some state)

    Nimm dich in Acht!

    Take care!

11. (transitive) to seize, to capture
12. (transitive) to receive, to accept
13. (transitive, sports) to foul

• “nehmen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “nehmen” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• “nehmen” in Duden online
• “nehmen” in OpenThesaurus.de

From Middle Low German nemen, from Old Saxon niman, neman.

nehmen (past nehm or nohm, past participle nahmen, auxiliary verb hebben)

1. (transitive) to take
2. (reflexive) to take oneself (to some state)
3. (transitive) to seize; to capture
4. (transitive) to receive; to accept