German word

tauchen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtaʊ̯xən/

Meaning

  • verbdive

Example

Er taucht ins Wasser, um das Riff zu sehen.

He dives into the water to see the reef.

Illustration for tauchen (dive)

More examples

Sie taucht das Besteck kurz in heißes Wasser.

She briefly dips the cutlery into hot water.

Core concept

A person slips below the water's surface, then carries that downward immersion into a subject or activity.

Common phrases

  • ins Wasser tauchen

    dive into the water

  • in die Tiefe tauchen

    dive into the depths

  • etwas kurz in Flüssigkeit tauchen

    briefly dip ___ into liquid

Similar words

eintauchen: To become deeply absorbed in a book, topic, or other subject.
untertauchen: To disappear from public life to stay hidden.
abtauchen: To suddenly leave a place and disappear.
auftauchen: To suddenly appear or come to light.

Definition in German

Unter Wasser gehen; übertragen: in etwas eintauchen, sich intensiv mit etwas beschäftigen

Word origin

Tauchen is an inherited Germanic verb recorded in earlier German as Middle High German touchen and tuchen, with an older sense involving dipping or submerging.

Usage tips

  • The common figurative pattern is 'in etwas eintauchen', and the prefix ein- is separable, as in 'Sie taucht in das Thema ein.'

Other meanings

  • immerseverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Taucherdivernoun
  • Tauchgangdivenoun
  • Eintauchenimmersionnoun

Word lists with this word