eintreten

Eintreten is a German verb with several related meanings. Most commonly, it means to enter or to come in, as in stepping into a room or building. It can also describe the onset or occurrence of something, such as the beginning of an event, a period of darkness, or the appearance of symptoms. A related noun is das Eintreten, which denotes the act or process of entering or of something beginning to occur. A more widely used noun for entry or admission is der Eintritt or der Eintrittspreis, depending on the context.

Grammatical note: Eintreten is a separable prefix verb. In present tense, the prefix splits from treten: er tritt ein, sie tritt in den Raum ein. The past participle is eingetreten, and the auxiliary in perfect constructions is sein: er ist eingetreten. The infinitive form is eintreten, and it can be used with different objects, typically with a directional phrase such as in den Raum, durch das Fenster, or in das Zimmer.

Usage and nuance: Physical entry often uses Eintreten with a motion toward the interior of a space, for example, Jemand tritt in den Saal ein. The sense of onset or onset of conditions tends to appear in more formal or literary contexts, such as Das Eintreten der Nacht oder das Eintreten einer Krise. In everyday language, the noun Eintritt is more common for entrance or admission to events or places, while Eintreten emphasizes the process or moment of beginning.

Examples: Er tritt in den Flur ein. Der Sturm trat plötzlich ein. Mit dem Eintreten der Nacht wurden die Straßen leerer. Das Eintreten der Symptome kündigte sich früh an.

See also: treten, ein- (prefix), Der Eintritt, Das Eintreten, Eintrag, Einlass.