richten

Richten is a German verb with a family of related meanings connected to directing, correcting, arranging, and judging. The word is ancient in Germanic languages and has given rise to a range of derived terms such as Richtung (direction) and Richtlinie (guideline). In everyday use, richten can imply making something right, aligning it, or setting it in a desired direction.

In its core transitive sense, richten means to fix, set right, or repair something that is wrong or out of alignment. It can also mean to adjust or straighten items, for example, a picture on a wall or a plan that needs correction. The sense of correcting or putting something in order is common in spoken language, as in richten einen Fehler (to correct a mistake).

Richten can also denote directing towards a goal or target. A common construction is auf etwas richten, meaning to aim or point something toward something, as in directing effort or a weapon toward a target. Another related sense is to orient or calibrate plans, procedures, or objects toward a chosen objective.

Sich nach etwas richten is a frequent and important usage: to conform to or follow rules, plans, or the circumstances of others. This sense emphasizes adaptation and compliance rather than alteration of the thing itself. In legal or moral language, über jemanden richten means to pass judgment on someone or to condemn; this usage is formal or archaic and usually appears in narrative or historical contexts.

Morphology and usage: present tense ich richte, du richtest, er richtet; imperfective richtete; past participle gerichtet. The verb forms part of a larger family of words built from Richt- indicating direction and order.