Einsteigen

Einsteigen is a German verb that primarily means to go into or onto something, especially to board a vehicle such as a train, bus, or airplane. It is also used more broadly to describe entering or beginning a new phase, job, or activity. In everyday language, it appears in transport contexts as well as in figurative expressions about starting a career or project.

Grammatical notes: einsteigen is a separable prefix verb. In the present tense the prefix is separated from the stem: ich steige in den Zug ein, du steigst in den Bus ein, er steigt in das Auto ein. The past participle is eingestiegen, and the auxiliary in perfect tenses is sein: ich bin in den Zug eingestiegen. Imperatives include Steig ein! and Steigen Sie ein! The related opposite verb is aussteigen (to disembark or to get off), and umsteigen means to change trains or transfer to another mode of transport, as well as to switch to a new situation more generally.

Usage and expressions: the verb is commonly used with transport nouns—in den Zug, in den Bus, ins Flugzeug einsteigen. Figuratively, man kann sagen, jemanden oder sich selbst in den Beruf oder in ein neues Lebenskapitel einsteigen, meaning to begin or enter a new professional or life phase. The noun form der Einstieg refers to an entry or boarding point, as well as the act of starting something, e.g., der Einstieg in den Beruf.

Etymology: einsteigen originates from ein- (into) and steigen (to rise or climb). The compound reflects the sense of entering or mounting something, with cognates in related Germanic languages.