Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| senden | /ˈzɛndən/ |
| schicken | /ˈʃɪkən/ |
| verschicken | /fɛɐ̯ˈʃɪkŋ̩/ /fɛɐ̯ˈʃɪkən/ |
All three forms mean to make something go somewhere. schicken is the most common, everyday word used for sending objects, people or messages. senden can refer to sending data or signals in technological contexts. verschicken is used when you want to express the act of sending many things out or the process of distribution, such as sending out invitations.
Which one should you use?
In contrast, senden is used for more formal contexts, such as formal written correspondence or the broadcasting of radio and television signals. verschicken focuses on the aspect of sending things out or distributing them.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verbs have different past participles: the past participle of schicken is geschickt, the past participle of senden is gesendet and the past participle of verschicken is verschickt.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzɛndən/
Did you know?
- The verb schicken is an unexpected linguistic relative of the English word 'chic'.
- The German word geschickt can mean both 'sent' and 'skillful' or 'clever'.
- Because senden is used for broadcasting, a German television station is called a Sender.
Examples in context
- Schicken Sie es mir.Send it to me.This sentence is useful for asking someone to send an object to you using schicken.Tatoeba #1619078 by Esperantostern, translation #1478351 by CK
- Schicken Sie mich hin.Send me there.This sentence is useful for asking someone to send a person to a specific location using schicken.Tatoeba #12445806 by mayabe, translation #262386 by CK
- Schicken Sie ihn zu mir!Send him to me!This sentence is useful for asking someone to send a person to you using schicken.Tatoeba #2981867 by Zaghawa, translation #2158221 by Vortarulo
- Könnten Sie mir bitte die Unterlagen per E-Mail schicken?Could you please send me the documents via email?
- Der Sender wird eine wichtige Nachricht an die Öffentlichkeit senden.The broadcaster will send an important message to the public.
- Bitte übermitteln Sie uns Ihre Antwort so schnell wie möglich.Please send us your response as soon as possible.
- Kannst du mir die Fotos schicken?Can you send me the photos?
- Schick es rüber, wenn du kannst.Send it over whenever you can.
- Wenn du das Buch lesen könntest, lass es mir zukommen, wenn du fertig bist.If you could read the book, send it my way when you're done.
- 242 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are talking about a document.
- LukasKannst du mir die Datei bitte senden?Can you please send the file to me?
- HannahJa, ich mache das sofort.Yes, I will do that immediately.
- LukasDanke, ich muss sie heute noch senden.Thanks, I still have to send it today.
- HannahKein Problem, Lukas. Es ist erledigt.No problem, Lukas. It's done.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “send” translations and entries senden, schicken, verschicken, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries schicken, senden, verschicken, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
