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gelangen

/ɡəˈlaŋən/
to arrive or reach a place

Endlich gelangten wir zum Gipfel des Berges.

Finally, we arrived at the mountain's peak.


general

To arrive at or reach a destination or goal, often after effort or difficulty.

Nach stundenlanger Fahrt gelangten sie sicher ans Ziel.

After hours of driving, they safely reached their destination.

Der Brief gelangte nie an den Empfänger.

The letter never reached the recipient.

Often used in formal or literary contexts to describe the achievement of a goal or arrival at a place.

Collocations

zu etwas gelangento reach somethingan einen Ort gelangento arrive at a place

Synonyms

ankommenerreichentreffen

Antonyms

verfehlenverpassen

Pro Tip

Formal vs. Informal Usage

Use 'gelangen' in formal or literary contexts. For everyday speech, 'ankommen' or 'erreichen' are more common.

Word Origin

From Middle High German 'gelangen', from Old High German 'gilangen', from 'gi-' (intensive prefix) + 'langen' (to reach).

Usage Notes

Often used in formal or literary contexts. Can imply effort or difficulty in reaching a goal.

Word Breakdown

ge-
intensive prefix
prefix
+
-lang
to reach
root
+
-en
verb suffix
suffix
Deutsch-Englisch Wörterbuch

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Words of the Year

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