Einander, füreinander, beieinander… Deutsch B2, C1

What does one-to-one actually mean and how do you use words put together, such as with each other, against each other, for each other and so on? I keep getting questions about this from you and that's why we're going to take a closer look at it today. Have fun! One-to-one is a pronoun, a so-called reciprocal pronoun. The foreign word reciprocal means as much as opposite. And that's already an indication of what one-to-one means. One-to-one means that two or more people do something to each other. For example, Florian and Maximilian help each other when they have problems. That means if Florian has a problem, Maximilian helps him and if Maximilian has a problem, he gets help from Florian. They help each other. They help each other. The verb to help is in the dative case. You help someone. And so one-to-one is also in this sentence for the dative. But it can also stand for the accusative. Let's take the verb to need, for example. That stands with the accusative. You need someone. We can say they need each other because they can only solve the problem together. So Person A needs Person B and Person B needs Person A. If you can speak English, you can simply translate each other with each other. The meaning is the same. However, one-to-one is a word that sounds a bit hoarse. In everyday conversation, you don't hear that very often. But what do you say instead? Most of the time you just say yourself. For example, they need each other. They can only solve the problem together. Or Florian and Maximilian help each other when they have problems. Maybe you're thinking now, okay, if I can also say sich instead of einander, then I can forget einander. But be careful, it's not that easy. These two sentences here with sich have a little problem. If we use sich in the same meaning as einander, we say Every person in a group does something with the other people in the group. But sich is also a reflexive pronoun. Short repetition. What is a reflexive pronoun? A reflexive pronoun shows us that the subject of the sentence does something with itself. The subject and the object of the sentence are the same person. For example in the sentence Paul washes himself. Paul does not wash another person, but himself. Paul washes Paul. If we look at the sentence Florian and Maximilian help each other and understand sich as a reflexive pronoun, the sentence has a different meaning. Florian helps Florian and Maximilian helps Maximilian. Or we see Florian and Maximilian as a group and this group helps itself. So this sentence with sich is not clear. We cannot say with certainty what is meant. Do Florian and Maximilian each help themselves or does everyone help the other? The word einander helps us there. The sentence Florian and Maximilian help each other is clear and precise. With this we can express the opposite meaning very precisely. And this sentence also sounds really good, especially in written German. In spoken German sich is often enough. If you want to be more precise, you often say in spoken German, they help each other. Let's look at two more sentences in comparison. We draw each other and we draw each other. Can you describe the difference in meaning? We draw each other is very clear. We draw each other. Person A draws Person B and Person B draws Person A. Because we draw each other, we cannot be completely sure. This sentence could mean the same as we draw each other. But another possible meaning is Person A draws itself and Person B draws itself. When you talk in everyday life, you usually know from the situation what the other means. For example in this dialogue. I was in the swimming pool this morning. Really? Andrea was there too. Did you see each other? Here I mean, of course, did you see each other? Did you see each other? Everything else does not make much sense. And here you would never say each other, because it just sounds so high. But in another situation it can be helpful to express the difference. Here for example. What is meant? Should I be able to see myself well? Or should I be able to see the other person well? Then it would be better if you would say. Imagine that you can see each other well. Or imagine that you can see each other well. In the past I have received many questions about each other. And I have just tried to answer them. But even more questions were asked to me in words like with each other, for each other, to each other and so on. As you can see here, the pronoun can combine with different prepositions. For example in this sentence. The dogs play together. We have several dogs here. And every dog plays with every other dog. All play together. The preposition that stands in front of each other is determined by the verb. Here we have the verb to play with someone. From this it becomes, they play together. But playing can also stand against the preposition. We could, for example, talk about football and say, Dortmund plays against Bayern Munich on the weekend. How could we formulate this sentence with each other? For example, On the weekend, Dortmund and Bayern Munich play against each other. Let's look at another verb. For example, to work. This can also stand with different prepositions. For example, with for. Erika works for Michael and Michael works for Erika. How can we formulate this more elegantly? With each other. Erik and Michael work for each other. But working can also stand with the preposition. Erika works with Michael and Michael works with Erika. So they work together. You can also work against someone. This is the opposite of working with someone. You prevent each other and work in such a way that the other person has no success. We can say, they work against each other. These combinations of each other and a preposition are quite normal in the spoken and also in the written language. I said earlier that each other, when it stands alone, sounds very elevated. This is not the case with these combinations. These are quite normal words that you constantly hear and read. Let's look at a few more examples. Our two dogs got used to each other quickly. You get used to someone. This means that over time you become familiar with someone you didn't know well before. Dog A got used to Dog B and Dog B got used to Dog A. Or, we can learn a lot from each other. I learn something from you and you learn something from me. We learn from each other. Or, the two just fit well together. He fits well with her and she fits well with him. They are a good couple. Or, the siblings stood close together and talked quietly. So, the brothers and sisters stand close to their brothers and sisters. If you want to practice using the words together correctly, then you will find exercises and tasks in the new member area of Deutsch mit Rieke. There are also exercises on the difference between yourself and each other. All information about membership can be found below in the video description and if you click up here. Do you have questions about this topic? Then feel free to write them in the comments below. And feel free to write me about which topic you would like to see a video of me on next. Thank you and take care. See you soon.