häufen

Häufen is a German verb meaning to pile up, to accumulate, or to heap. It can refer to concrete objects, such as materials or money, as well as to abstract quantities like problems or tasks. The verb is commonly used with a direct object (etwas häufen) and also in the reflexive or impersonal construction sich häufen, where the subject experiences an increasing amount of something.

Conjugation and usage: Häufen is a regular weak verb. In the present tense: ich häufe, du häufst, er häuft, wir häufen, ihr häuft, sie häufen. The simple past (preterite) is ich häufte, du häuftest, er häufte, wir häuften, ihr häuftet, sie häuften. The past participle is gehäuft. Typical present-day uses include: Er häuft Geld, um ein Ziel zu erreichen. Die Arbeiten häufen sich im Laufe der Woche.

Nuances: Häufen emphasizes the formation or collection of a pile, while sich häufen often refers to accumulative processes or the increasing frequency of events. The phrase Häufung (noun) denotes an accumulation or a concentration of items, events, or problems. Häufen can pair with physical nouns (Geld, Steine) as well as with non‑physical nouns (Probleme, Verzögerungen).

Related forms: The noun Häufung denotes the act or result of accumulating. Synonyms include ansammeln, aufhäufen, and sich ansammeln, though each carries subtle nuances in emphasis on collection, piling, or gradual increase.

See also: In German, the verb can be extended with prefixes such as aufhäufen to stress deliberate accumulation. The concept contrasts with distributing or dispersing, which is expressed with different verbs.