errichten

Errichten is a German verb meaning to erect, construct, or establish something. It can refer to physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or walls, as well as to non-physical entities such as institutions, foundations, or orders. The action implies planning, execution, and a resulting, usually durable, form or status. In everyday language, more common verbs like bauen or aufbauen are often used, but errichten tends to appear in formal or official discourse, construction planning, or administrative language.

Usage and nuance: Errichten usually describes deliberate, longer-term projects or the creation of something intended to stand. It can be used for both tangible constructions, such as a monument or a dam, and for non-physical constructs, such as a foundation, a company, or a regulatory framework. The phrase “eine Brücke errichten” or “eine Stiftung errichten” is typical. In some contexts it conveys a sense of formal establishment rather than mere assembly.

Conjugation and derivation: Errichten is a regular verb in modern use. Present tense: ich errichte, du errichtest, er errichtet; simple past: ich errichtete; perfect: hat errichtet. The related noun Errichtung denotes the act of erecting or establishment (die Errichtung einer Brücke).

Examples: Der Bauunternehmer errichtete ein neues Hochhaus. Die Stadt errichtete einen Gedenkstein. Die Stiftung wurde errichtet, um benachteiligten Kindern zu helfen. Metaphorisch kann auch von der Errichtung einer Ordnung gesprochen werden.