treten
/ˈtʁeːtɛn/
To kick in German is treten. Wiktionary also lists kicken.
Meaning: strike with or raise the foot or leg (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| treten | /ˈtʁeːtɛn/ |
| kicken | /ˈkɪkən/ |
The verb treten is used to mean to strike with or raise the foot or leg, or to trample. If you want to express the concept of giving or receiving a kick, you can use the phrases einen Tritt geben (to give a kick) or einen Tritt bekommen (to receive a kick).
Which one should you use?
While treten is the general verb for the action of kicking, kicken is used specifically in the context of playing sports like soccer.
How does it change in a sentence?
treten is a strong, irregular verb. Its past tense is trat and its past participle is getreten.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʁeːtɛn/
Did you know?
- The German phrase auf die Tube treten (to step/kick on the tube) is a slang term meaning to hurry up or increase speed.
- In German, the phrase einen Tritt in den Hintern bekommen (to get a kick in the rear) is often used to describe being motivated to act after a long period of laziness.
- The German verb treten is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'tread'. While we use 'tread' for walking, they share the same ancient roots.
Examples in context
- Dem werde ich in den Hintern treten.I’m going to kick his butt.This sentence shows how to use treten when referring to kicking someone's butt.Tatoeba #5647566 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5130941 by honestlang
- Es tut mir leid. Ich wollte Sie nicht treten.I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to kick you.This sentence illustrates using treten to apologize for an accidental kick.Tatoeba #784105 by al_ex_an_der, translation #56394 by CK
- Er kann werfen, laufen, abfangen, treten: Tom kann alles.He can throw, he can run, he can block, he can kick, Tom can do it all.This sentence demonstrates treten as part of a list of athletic abilities.Tatoeba #9705841 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9331136 by DJ_Saidez
- Entschuldigen Sie, aber der Tritt war unabsichtlich.Excuse me, but the kick was unintentional.
- Ich werde den Ball treten.I will kick the ball
- Ich habe ihm aus Versehen in den Magen getreten.I accidentally kicked him in the stomach.
- Sie hat den Ball mit einem kräftigen Kick ins Tor geschossen.She kicked the ball into the goal with a powerful kick.
- Der Karatekämpfer zeigte einen beeindruckenden High Kick.The karate fighter performed an impressive high kick.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are playing soccer in the park.
- FelixFelix kann den Ball sehr fest treten.Felix can kick the ball very hard.
- SarahJa, er ist ein guter Spieler.Yes, he is a good player.
- FelixSchau mal, Sarah tritt den Ball auch!Look, Sarah is kicking the ball too!
- SarahDas war ein toller Schuss.That was a great shot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kick” translations and entries treten, kicken, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kicken, treten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
