antreten

Antreten is a German verb with several related meanings centered on appearing, presenting oneself, or beginning an action. In military and civil contexts it commonly means to report for service or to appear for duty, as in zum Dienst antreten (to report for service), zum Amt antreten (to assume office). It can also denote the act of assembling or lining up, and of starting or commencing an activity or journey. The verb is separable: in present tense one says er tritt an, sie tritt an; in perfect tense the prefix is part of the past participle, as in er ist zum Dienst angetreten.

As a noun, das Antreten refers to the act of presenting oneself or the act of assembling troops. It is frequently used in military terminology to describe the gathering or formation of personnel, for example das Antreten der Truppen. The noun can also denote the moment a person appears for an obligation, such as the Antreten zu einer Prüfung or Antreten vor Gericht, depending on the formal context.

Etymology and related forms: Antreten derives from an- (on, toward) and treten (to step, to start) and is closely related to the basic verb tretten or treten. It contrasts with Antritt, a related noun that denotes the act of taking up a position or office, but with a more specific sense of inaugural assuming or taking office.

Usage notes: Antreten is widely used in formal or official language. It emphasizes the act of presenting oneself for a duty, a duty’s start, or the act of assembling, rather than the broader notion of beginning a generic activity.