German word

reihen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʁaɪ̯ən/

Meaning

  • verbline up

Example

Er reiht die Teller ordentlich auf dem Tisch.

He lines up the plates neatly on the table.

Illustration for reihen (line up)

More examples

Die Kinder reihten sich schnell hinter dem Eingang.

The children quickly lined up behind the entrance.

Core concept

Beads or people form one orderly row, with each new item placed beside the last.

Common phrases

  • in eine Reihe reihen

    line up in a row

  • Bücher nach Autor reihen

    line up books by author

  • nach Größe reihen

    line up by size

Similar words

einreihen: Place a person or object into an existing line as one of its members.
ordnen: Organize objects or materials systematically according to established rules.
sortieren: Separate items by type or criteria and put them in order.
anstellen: Queue up and wait for a turn.

Definition in German

Personen oder Dinge in eine geordnete Linie bringen; auch reflexiv gebraucht, um sich einer Reihe anzuschließen.

Word origin

The verb reihen derives from the noun Reihe with the verb-forming suffix -en.

Usage tips

  • For joining a line, German commonly uses sich einreihen, with in plus the accusative for the destination.

Other meanings

  • stringverb

Opposites

  • zerstreuenscatterverb
  • durcheinanderbringenmix upverb

Related words

  • Reihenfolgeordernoun
  • Reihungarrangementnoun
  • Reihenhausterraced housenoun

Word lists with this word