geraten

Geraten is a German intransitive verb used to express that someone or something ends up in a particular state or situation, often as a result of chance, circumstance, or external influence. It can denote a physical relocation into a place, or a figurative change of condition, such as trouble, danger, or a favorable outcome. Common verbal patterns include entering a state with in + accusative (ich bin in Schwierigkeiten geraten; er ist in Gefahr geraten), or falling under someone’s control with unter die Kontrolle geraten, and falling out of a condition with aus der Ordnung geraten.

Conjugation and usage notes. In the present tense, forms are ich gerate, du gerätst, er/sie/es gerät, wir geraten, ihr geratet, sie geraten. The simple past is ich geriet, du gerietest, er geriet, wir gerieten, ihr gerietet, sie gerieten. The past participle is geraten, and the auxiliary for perfect constructions is typically sein, as in ich bin in Schwierigkeiten geraten or der Kuchen ist gut geraten. The verb can be used with various prepositional phrases to indicate how the state came about, such as in die Krise geraten (to fall into a crisis) or unter die Kontrolle geraten (to come under control of someone).

Examples of usage. Ich bin in Schwierigkeiten geraten. Der Kuchen ist gut geraten. Die Firma ist unter die Kontrolle geraten. Das Auto ist aus der Ordnung geraten.

Etymology and classification. Geraten originates from older Germanic roots related to the sense of reaching or attaining a state. It is not a separable verb, and it forms a range of idiomatic expressions that describe resulting conditions rather than direct transitive actions.

See also: raten, fallen, geraten in Redewendungen.