festmachen

Festmachen is a German verb with the separable prefix fest- and the verb machen. It primarily means to make something firm by attaching, fastening, or securing it. The term covers physical actions such as securing sails, ropes, or a boat, as well as the figurative act of fixing or determining something, for example a date or a decision.

In practice, festmachen is used with objects that are being secured, for instance: das Boot festmachen (to moor or secure the boat), das Segel festmachen (to fasten the sail), die Schrauben festmachen (to tighten and secure the screws). The prefix is typically separated in main clauses: Wir machen das Seil fest. In perfect tense the common form is haben + festgemacht: Ich habe das Seil festgemacht. The simple past is machte fest (Wir machten die Verbindung fest).

Figure of speech includes setting a date or establishing a decision: Wir machen den Termin fest, Wir müssen eine Entscheidung festmachen. In this sense, festmachen conveys making something binding or definite, rather than merely suggested.

Origin and relation: fest means firm, and machen means to make; together they form a versatile verb used across contexts, from everyday manual tasks to planning and formal agreements. Related verbs include befestigen (to secure more permanently) and sichern (to safeguard or guarantee).