schaffen
to manage, to achieve, to accomplish
Intermediate Verb
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Pronunciation
/ˈʃa.fn̩/
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Cultural Note
'Du schaffst das!' is one of the most common encouragements in German. Angela Merkel's famous 'Wir schaffen das' during the 2015 refugee crisis became a defining phrase of modern German history. Note: weak schaffen (to manage) differs from strong schaffen (to create, past: schuf).
📝 Example Sentences
Wir haben es geschafft!
We did it! / We made it!
Du schaffst das!
You can do it!
Ich habe es nicht geschafft, pünktlich zu kommen.
I didn't manage to arrive on time.