How to say "surrender" in German

In order to express ceasing resistance to an opponent or enemy, Germans use “(sich) ergeben”, and to express quitting or abandoning something the word is “aufgeben”:

– “Er hat sich der Polizei ergeben.” – “He surrendered to the police.”
– “Ergeben Sie sich!” / “Ergib dich!” – “Surrender (yourself)!”
– “Er hat den Kampf aufgegeben.” – “He gave up the fight.”
– “Du musst das Rauchen aufgeben!” – “You have to quit smoking.”
– “Wir haben die Hoffnung aufgegeben.” – “We gave up hope.”

The word “(sich) ergeben” can also mean “to dedicate (oneself)”, or “to devote (oneself)”:

– “Er hat sich völlig seiner Arbeit ergeben.” – “He entirely devoted himself to his work.”

Without “sich”, the word “ergeben” means “result in”:

– “Es ergab Chaos.” – “It resulted in chaos.”

The word “aufgeben” can also be used to assign a task:

– “Der Lehrer hat mir zu viele Hausaufgaben aufgegeben.” – “The teacher gave me too much homework.”


Listen up, lurkers!

We filmed an entire beginner German course!


More cool stuff from Expath

The best ways to remember gender in German

How's your German? Take our free online test!

How to get a handle on childcare in Berlin

Join us for small online German classes for English speakers

How to go about finding a flat in Berlin and Germany

All the different ways to say you're exhausted in German

Want to work as a freelancer in Germany but need more info?

Want to live and work in Germany but not sure how to do it?

How to obtain an artist visa for Berlin

How do English speakers find jobs in Germany?

All of Expath's German "words of the day"

How to tell time in German