anschalten

/ˈanˌʃaltn̩/
verbIntermediate
general

To turn on or activate a device or system, such as a light, television, or machine.

Er hat den Fernseher angeschaltet.

He turned on the TV.

Bitte schalten Sie die Maschine an.

Please turn on the machine.

💡

This verb is commonly used in everyday contexts to refer to activating electrical devices or systems.

Collocations

das Licht anschaltento turn on the lightden Fernseher anschaltento turn on the TVdie Maschine anschaltento turn on the machine

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

anschalten und loslegenphrase
to turn on and get started

💡Pro Tip

Separable Prefix

Remember that 'anschalten' is a separable verb, so in the past participle, the prefix 'an-' moves to the end: 'Ich habe den Fernseher angeschaltet.'

Gold Rule

Context Matters

Use 'anschalten' for devices and systems, while 'einschalten' is more general and can also mean 'to turn on' but is less common for everyday devices.

📖Word Origin

Derived from the prefix 'an-' (on) and the verb 'schalten' (to switch), indicating the action of turning something on.

📝Usage Notes

The past participle form 'angeschaltet' is commonly used in compound tenses. The verb is separable, meaning the prefix 'an-' can be separated in certain grammatical constructions.

Word Breakdown

an-
on
prefix
+
schalten
to switch
root
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