Wirke

Wirke is the present-tense first-person singular form of the German verb wirken, which means to act, to operate, or to have an effect. As ich wirke, it expresses that the speaker itself is producing an effect or participating in a process. The verb covers physical, causal, and evaluative senses, and it serves as the basis for related forms such as wirkt, wirkt sich, and wirksam.

Etymology and cognates: wirken belongs to the Germanic family of verbs with cognates in related languages. It is historically linked to verbs meaning to act or to produce an effect, and it shares roots with Dutch werken and the English word work. The noun form Wirkung (effect) and the adjectives wirksam (effective) or wirkungsvoll (powerfully effective) are closely related derivatives.

Usage: Wirken can describe concrete effects (Das Medikament wirkt) as well as influence or impact on situations (Der Plan wirkt sich positiv aus). It can indicate participation in a project (Ich wirke an dem Projekt mit) or influence on people or events (Die Werbung wirkt). The verb can be used in evaluative contexts where the result or impression is assessed, as in Es wirkt gut or Es wirkt so, als ob es funktioniert.

Form and meaning notes: The form ich wirke is distinct from the third-person forms er wirkt and sie wirken. The noun Wirkungen and the adjective wirksam are common derivatives. While the word kadar widely used in everyday German, the capitalized form Wirke is not standard except as a proper name or title.

See also: Wirkung, wirksam, wirksamkeit, Wirkungsvoll.