verstauchen

to sprain

verb fer-SHTOW-khen Rare

Usage Note

Verstauchen is the standard medical term for a sprain; it is more formal than verknacksen and used in doctor's appointments. Always reflexive: sich den Fuß verstauchen.

Examples

"Er hat sich beim Fußball den Knöchel verstaucht."

Natural Translation

He sprained his ankle playing football.

Literal Translation

He has sprained himself the ankle at football.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German False Friends: 25 Words That Trick You

German false friends like Gift (poison) and bekommen (to receive) trick English speakers daily. Here are 25 words that mean the opposite of what you'd guess.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Days, Months & Seasons (am, im & -tag)

Days of the week in German use am, months and seasons use im — plus the -tag pattern, capitalized nouns, and how to build a real sentence with a day.

June 5, 2026 4 min read