mich erholen
The phrase 'recover myself' in German is mich erholen.
This phrase is used to describe the act of resting and regaining strength after a period of work or illness.
Which one should you use?
Mich wieder zusammenraffen is an informal way to say 'recover myself' in German.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb erholen is reflexive, so it requires a reflexive pronoun like mich to mean 'to recover oneself'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use erholen without a reflexive pronoun, but in German, you must say mich erholen to mean 'to recover oneself'.
Did you know?
- Germans often use Kur to describe a structured period of erholen. This is a specialized medical spa stay that is often partially covered by health insurance.
- The verb holen in erholen literally means 'to fetch' or 'to get'. One could view 'recovering oneself' as 'fetching oneself back' from a state of exhaustion.
- The informal alternative mich wieder zusammenraffen literally suggests 'gathering oneself back together' like a scattered pile of objects.
Examples in context
- Ich muss mich erholen, nachdem ich krank war.I need to recover after being sick.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah are talking after a long work week.
- MaximilianIch bin so müde, ich muss mich erholen.I am so tired, I need to recover.
- SarahDas verstehe ich, Maximilian.I understand that, Maximilian.
- MaximilianGehen wir am Sonntag in den Park?Shall we go to the park on Sunday?
- SarahJa, das hilft uns sicher zu erholen.Yes, that will surely help us recover.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries erholen, mich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
