Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| einmarschieren | /ˈʔaɪ̯nmaʁˌʃiːʁən/ |
| überfallen | /ˌʔyːbɐˈfalən/ |
| einfallen | /ˈaɪ̯nˌfalən/ |
einmarschieren literally means to march in. It is the word for a formal military movement or an official invasion by an army.
Which one should you use?
überfallen stresses a sudden, violent attack or a raid rather than a sustained occupation. einfallen is the verb for figurative invasions, such as a crowd of people or a swarm of insects pouring into a place.
How does it change in a sentence?
einmarschieren is a separable verb, so in a simple present sentence the prefix ein moves to the end, as in Sie marschieren in das Land ein. einfallen works the same way, as in Die Heuschrecken fallen in die Stadt ein. überfallen is inseparable, so über stays attached to the stem in every form.
How do you pronounce it?
einmarschieren is pronounced /ˈʔaɪ̯nmaʁˌʃiːʁən/, with the main stress on the first syllable and a second, lighter stress on the long vowel near the end.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not split überfallen the way you split einmarschieren. Its prefix never moves to the end of the sentence.
Did you know?
- The verb einfallen is commonly used to describe the moment an idea suddenly pops into your head, as if the thought is invading your mind.
- The word marschieren within einmarschieren is actually a loanword from the French word 'marcher'.
- The verb überfallen shares an ancestor with the archaic English word 'overfall', which meant to descend upon or attack someone suddenly.
Examples in context
- Jedes Jahr im September fallen die Studenten wie Heuschrecken in diese Stadt ein.Every September the students invade this town like locusts.Here fallen and ein are the two split parts of the verb, used for students crowding into a town.
- Die Invasion des Nachbarlandes führte zu einem internationalen Konflikt.The invasion of the neighboring country led to an international conflict.
- Der Einmarsch der Truppen war unerwartet und brachte das Land in Aufruhr.The troops' invasion was unexpected and caused turmoil in the country.
- Das Land wurde von den Nachbarstaaten überfallen und befand sich plötzlich im Krieg.The country was invaded by neighboring states and suddenly found itself at war.
- Die Angreifer sind über die Grenze eingerückt und haben das Gebiet besetzt.The attackers invaded over the border and occupied the territory.
- Die feindlichen Truppen wollen in das Land einmarschieren.The enemy troops want to invade the country.
- Die Armee wird morgen in die Stadt einmarschieren.The army will invade the city tomorrow.
Example conversation
Sarah and Lukas are discussing a historical event.
- SarahWann wollten die Truppen einmarschieren?When did the troops want to invade?
- LukasSie wollten im Morgengrauen einmarschieren.They wanted to march in at dawn.
- SarahDas war ein sehr riskanter Plan.That was a very risky plan.
- LukasJa, aber es hat leider funktioniert.Yes, but unfortunately it worked.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “invade” translations and entries einmarschieren, überfallen, einfallen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries einfallen, einmarschieren, überfallen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
