aktivieren
/aktiˈviːʁən/
To activate in German is aktivieren. Wiktionary also lists freischalten.
Meaning: to put into operation (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| aktivieren | /aktiˈviːʁən/ |
| freischalten | /ˈfʁaɪ̯ˌʃaltn̩/ |
The verb means to put something into operation. You might use the noun form Aktivierung to refer to the act of activation.
Which one should you use?
aktivieren is typically used for the physical or technical activation of a device, a chemical process or a specific function. In contrast, freischalten is more commonly used in software contexts to mean unlocking or enabling a feature or access right.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of aktivieren is aktiviert, which is used to form the perfect tense or can act as an adjective. When used as an adjective before a noun, the past participle takes inflected endings, such as aktivierte (for example, die aktivierte Karte).
How do you pronounce it?
/aktiˈviːʁən/
Did you know?
- The word schalten inside freischalten is the same root used for shifting gears in a car, linking the act of activating software to mechanical movement.
- While aktivieren is a loanword from Latin, freischalten is a purely Germanic construction, showing how German uses two different linguistic layers for technical tasks.
- The verb freischalten literally means 'to switch free', combining 'frei' (free) and 'schalten' (to switch/control).
Examples in context
- Bitte aktivieren Sie die neue SoftwarePlease activate the new software
- Der Ingenieur setzt die Maschine in GangThe engineer activates the machine
- Können Sie bitte den Alarm einschalten?Can you please activate the alarm?
- Ich habe die Software aktiviertI have activated the software
- Du musst diese Funktion aktivierenYou need to activate this feature
- Um das WLAN zu aktivieren, benötigen Sie das PasswortTo activate the Wi-Fi, you need the password
- Du musst zuerst den Account aktivieren.You have to activate the account first.
- Kannst du bitte die neue Funktion aktivieren?Can you please activate the new function?
- Wir müssen das System sofort aktivieren.We must activate the system immediately.
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are setting up a new smart home device.
- LauraMaximilian, wie kann ich das Gerät aktivieren?Maximilian, how can I activate the device?
- MaximilianDu musst nur die App auf deinem Handy aktivieren.You just have to activate the app on your phone.
- LauraHat es geklappt?Did it work?
- MaximilianJa, das System ist jetzt bereit.Yes, the system is ready now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “activate” translations and entries aktivieren, freischalten, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aktivieren, freischalten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
