German word

anstecken

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈanˌʃtɛkən/

Meaning

  • verbget infected

Example

Viele Kinder stecken sich in der Schule an.

Many children are getting infected at school.

Illustration for anstecken (get infected)

More examples

Während der Grippewelle stecken sich viele Menschen an.

During the flu wave, many people get infected.

Core concept

A thing is brought into contact so that it stays attached, starts burning, or spreads its effect to another person.

Common phrases

  • sich mit einem Virus anstecken

    get infected with a virus

  • jemanden anstecken

    infect someone

  • sich bei jemandem anstecken

    catch it from someone

Similar words

infizieren: Make someone ill by bringing a pathogen into the body.
übertragen: Move a pathogen or virus between people or objects.
weitergeben: Transmit a pathogen or disease to another person.
ausbreiten: Grow more widespread within a place or group.

Definition in German

Jemanden durch Krankheitserreger oder Kontakt krank machen; reflexiv: eine Krankheit bekommen.

Word origin

Anstecken is formed from the Germanic verb stecken with the prefix an-, whose basic spatial meaning indicates contact or attachment.

Usage tips

  • Jemanden anstecken means infecting someone, but sich anstecken means catching an illness; the reflexive pronoun marks the person affected.

Other meanings

  • infectverb
  • pinverb
  • lightverb

Opposites

  • heilencureverb
  • immunisierenimmunizeverb

Related words

  • Ansteckunginfectionnoun
  • ansteckendcontagiousadjective
  • Ansteckungsgefahrrisk of infectionnoun

Word lists with this word