kämpfen

Kämpfen is a German verb meaning to fight, to struggle, or to wage combat. It covers direct physical fighting as well as broader forms of contest or struggle, such as fighting for a cause, fighting an illness, or competing in sports. The verb takes objects with the prepositions gegen or um, for example: gegen den Feind kämpfen, um den Titel kämpfen. It can also appear in fixed expressions like sich durchkämpfen, meaning to fight one’s way through a challenge.

Grammatically, kämpfen is a regular weak verb. In the present tense: ich kämpfe, du kämpfst, er kämpft, wir kämpfen, ihr kämpft, sie kämpfen. The simple past (preterite) forms: ich kämpfte, du kämpftest, er kämpfte, wir kämpften, ihr kämpftet, sie kämpften. The present perfect is formed with haben: ich habe gekämpft. The verb commonly appears in infinitive constructions and in subordinate clauses with dass or weil, as well as in imperative forms.

Etymology and related terms: The verb Kämpfen shares its root with the noun Kampf (fight, struggle). Both derive from historical Germanic forms; in German, the noun and the verb have long been closely connected, with meanings centered on contest, opposition, and effort. Related terms include Kämpfer (fighter), Kampfkunst (martial arts), and Kampfsport (combat sports).

Usage in discourse varies from literal combat in sports or warfare to metaphorical struggle, such as political advocacy, overcoming disease, or opposing injustice. The term remains common in everyday language, sports journalism, and literature, where it conveys effort, resilience, and contest.