German Conversation · Level 24
90 words
German word
treffen
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈtrɛfən/
Meaning
- verbmeet
Example
Wir treffen uns morgen im Café.
We are meeting at the café tomorrow.
More examples
Auf der Straße habe ich zufällig einen alten Kollegen getroffen.
On the street, I happened to meet an old colleague.
Core concept
Two paths meet at one point, whether people come together, an object is struck, or a choice is fixed.
Common phrases
Freunde treffen
meet friends
jemanden persönlich treffen
meet someone in person
Similar words
kennenlernen: Meet someone for the first time and get to know them.
verabreden: Agree on a time and place to meet someone.
begegnen: Come across someone by chance while out.
besuchen: Go to someone's home or another place to visit them.
Definition in German
mit jemandem an einem Ort verabredet oder zufällig zusammenkommen
Word origin
German treffen derives from Old High German treffan, meaning "to strike or hit," and its related senses include encountering someone and making a decision.
Usage tips
- For a planned meeting, treffen usually appears reflexively as sich mit jemandem treffen, while an unplanned encounter can use jemanden treffen.