entwickeln
/ʔɛntˈvɪkl̩n/
The English phrase evolve is translated into German as entwickeln.
The verb means to come into being or to develop.
Meaning: come into being, develop (verb)
Which one should you use?
The non-reflexive form entwickeln is used when you are developing an object or a concept, such as a product or a plan. In contrast, when describing a person or an organism evolving or developing, you use the reflexive form sich entwickeln.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of entwickeln is entwickelt.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔɛntˈvɪkl̩n/
Did you know?
- The word wickeln is still used daily in German to describe the common task of changing a baby's diaper.
- The word entwickeln is also the term used for developing a photograph from a film negative in a darkroom.
- Literally, entwickeln means 'to unwrap'. It is a direct translation of the French word développer, which also means 'to unwrap'.
Examples in context
- Das Schönste daran, Lehrer zu sein, ist es, daß man seinen Schülern dabei zusehen kann, wie sie sich entwickeln und ihre Ziele erreichen.The best part of being a teacher is seeing your students evolve and accomplish their goals.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use entwickeln when describing students evolving.Tatoeba #13928199 by Waldelfe, translation #10671574 by DJ_Saidez
- Das Unternehmen entwickelt sich schnell.The company is evolving quickly.
- Die Forschung muss sich weiterentwickeln, um innovative Lösungen zu finden.Research must evolve to find innovative solutions.
- Sie hat sich persönlich entwickelt.She has evolved personally.
- Die Gesellschaft hat sich im Laufe der Zeit gewandelt.Society has evolved over time.
- Aus diesem Chaos ist etwas ganz Neues entstanden.Something entirely new has evolved from this chaos.
- Meine Ansichten haben sich über die Jahre verändert.My views have evolved over the years.
- Die Technologie entwickelt sich immer weiter und eröffnet neue Möglichkeiten.Technology is constantly evolving and opening up new possibilities.
- Die Spezies hat sich über Millionen von Jahren entwickelt.The species has evolved over millions of years.
- Die Firma muss neue Strategien entwickeln.The company must develop new strategies.
- Wir müssen eine Lösung für das Problem entwickeln.We need to develop a solution for the problem.
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are discussing a project at work.
- LauraJulian, wir müssen einen Plan entwickeln.Julian, we need to develop a plan.
- JulianHast du schon Ideen dazu?Do you already have ideas for it?
- LauraIch möchte zuerst die Daten sammeln.I want to collect the data first.
- JulianDas ist ein guter erster Schritt.That is a good first step.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “evolve” translations and entries entwickeln, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries entwickeln, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
