Fertigwerden

Fertigwerden is a German verb meaning to become finished or to manage to cope with a task or situation. The term combines the adjective fertig (ready, finished) with werden (to become), and is used both in a literal sense of completing work and in a figurative sense of handling or getting through something.

Etymology and usage. The word derives from the adjective fertig and the verb werden, expressing a transition into a finished state or a successful handling of a demand. In everyday speech, its most common use is in phrases like mit etwas fertigwerden, which means to manage to deal with something or to get through a task. It can also refer to the outcome of a process, as in a repair or project becoming completed.

Conjugation and forms. Fertigwerden is an intransitive verb. In the present tense one typically says: ich werde fertig, du wirst fertig, er wird fertig. For the perfect, the common form is ich bin damit fertiggeworden or ich bin damit fertig geworden, depending on regional preferences. The future can be expressed with werde, as in ich werde damit fertigwerden, though spoken German often uses alternative constructions such as ich werde es schon schaffen or ich komme schon zurecht.

Usage notes. The phrase mit etwas fertigwerden is versatile and appears across contexts ranging from work tasks to personal challenges. Colloquial synonyms include fertigbekommen, fertigkriegen (more informal), and bewältigen or durchstehen in equivalent contexts.

See also. Related terms include Fertigstellung (completion), Fertigbau (prefabricated construction), and Zurechtkommen (to manage, cope).