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anstellen and  sich anstellen

The verb anstellen and its reflexive form sich anstellen have a number of different meanings and uses. 

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You may have heard anstellen used in the context of the job market, as it means "to hire," "to employ," or "to appoint." You can look at ways to describe different types of employment in this previous lesson

 

Die meisten Leute, die bei einem Arbeitgeber angestellt sind, werden für diese Arbeit am Ende des Monats bezahlt.

Most people who are employed by an employer are paid for this work at the end of the month.

Captions 4-5, Eva: erklärt Bankkonten

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Dann wär ich ja angestellt.

Then I would be an employee.

Caption 23, Nicos Weg: Studium und Beruf

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Although einschalten is more common, there are cases when anstellen is used to talk about turning on a device or machine. 

 

Man musste den Ventilator anstellen.

You had to turn on the fan.

Caption 30, Kinder lernen: Wie aus Wind Strom gemacht wird

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The verb sich anstellen has a few other meanings. For one, it means to line up or wait in a line. 

 

Im Hintergrund sieht man ein paar von den Linien an denen man sich anstellen muss, um sein Mittagessen zu holen.

In the background, you can see a few of the lines that you have to wait in to get your lunch.

Captions 41-42, Studieren in Deutschland: Campustag KIT

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Entschuldigung, Sie müssen sich erst anstellen.

Excuse me, you have to get in line first.

Caption 20, Mein Weg nach Deutschland: Auf Arbeitssuche

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Both of these verbs can be used to talk about behavior and, unless otherwise specified, generally imply making a scene or behaving badly. 

 

Und wie hat er sich angestellt?

And how did he do?

Caption 17, Die Toten von Marnow: S1 E1 Zyklop

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Ich meine, beziehungsweise, was passiert, wenn irgendjemand irgendeinen Mist mit der Waffe anstellt?

I mean, or rather, what happens if someone does something stupid with the gun?

Captions 48-49, Großstadtrevier: Der Gute Bulle (Teil 1)

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Was habt ihr mit meinem Bruder angestellt?

What have you done with my brother?

Caption 2, Oskar - Gehen, wenn es am schönsten ist: Nur die Liebe zählt

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The verb anstellen is also used with certain nouns to express the act of undertaking or initiating an action. Examples of this are Nachforschungen anstellen (to conduct investigations), Untersuchungen anstellen (to carry out inquiries), and Vermutungen anstellen (to make speculations). 

 

Wohin damit? -Wie hast du das denn angestellt?

Where should it go? -How did you arrange that then?

Caption 47, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern

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Na, aussichtslos... Wir können Nachforschungen anstellen.

Well, hopeless... We can start investigations.

Caption 11, Die Pfefferkörner: Gerüchteküche

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Further Learning
Review the conjugations of anstellen. You can also refer to additional examples on Yabla German and build your own sentences. 

Translations of der Gang

Not too long ago, we sent out a lesson on homographs, which are words that are spelled the same and sound the same, but have different meanings. You could also say that it's when one word has various definitions. Anyway, the noun der Gang falls into this category.

 

One translation of der Gang is "the course," as in a course of events, or the way something happens.

 

Hier geht alles seinen ruhigen Gang.

Here, everything runs its quiet course.

Caption 21, Die letzten Paradiese - Die Schönheit der Alpen - Part 9

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Just as a course can also refer to part of a meal in English, Germans say der erste Gang for the first course (though probably more often die Vorspeise / "the appetizer") and der Hauptgang for the main course.

 

Und da kommt auch schon der nächste Gang.

And here comes the next course already.

Caption 18, Die letzten Paradiese - Die Schönheit der Alpen - Part 5

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Now it's time to shift into high gear, for which we can also use der Gang, as it is used to refer to a gear that you would shift into on a bicycle or in a car. Unlike in English, it does NOT refer to a gear in a wristwatch, which is das Zahnrad (die Zahnräder as a plural noun).

 

Dann legen wir den ersten Gang ein.

Then we shift into first gear.

Caption 17, Fahrschule - Wie man die Kupplung bedient

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Here you can see how der Gang is used to refer to someone's gait or the act of doing a walkthrough.

 

Es gibt ja viele Frauen, die...

There are many women that....

ja, ihren Gang auch ein bisschen verbessern können.

yes, can also improve their walk a little bit.

Caption 15, Auf dem Laufsteg - Modelcollege in Wiesbaden

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... deshalb schwingt bei einem Gang durch das Museum auch viel Nostalgie mit.

... therefore a tour through the museum also resonates with a lot of nostalgia.

Caption 23, Flipperautomaten - Kunstwerke für flinke Kugeln

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And then there's the very common translation of der Gang as a hallway or corridor:

 

Der rechte Gang und dann ganz hinten links.

The right hallway and then all the way in the back on the left.

Caption 18, Mein Weg nach Deutschland - Auf Arbeitssuche

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Further Learning
You'll find many instances of der Gang used on Yabla German, but why not also try to formulate your own sentences?