sich treffen

/zɪç ˈtʁɛfn̩/

»Sich treffen« describes two or more people coming together, whether planned or spontaneous, in everyday life, among friends, or in a professional setting. The right English equivalent shifts with context and register.

1. to meet (up)

The default translation for both arranged and chance encounters in everyday life, leisure, and work.

Wo sollen wir uns treffen?
Where shall we meet up?
Sie treffen sich jeden Freitag zum Mittagessen.
They meet every Friday for lunch.
Wir treffen uns morgen früh am Flughafen.
We're meeting at the airport tomorrow morning.

2. to get together [informal]

Used for relaxed, social gatherings with no formal agenda (typical among friends or family).

Treffen wir uns am Wochenende und reden in Ruhe.
Let's get together this weekend and talk properly.
Die alte Clique trifft sich jedes Jahr im Sommer.
The old gang gets together every summer.

Notes

Don't confuse the non-reflexive »treffen«, which carries completely different meanings: »einen Ball treffen« (to hit a ball), »eine Entscheidung treffen« (to make a decision), or »das trifft mich« (that affects me deeply). Only the reflexive »sich treffen« maps to »to meet (up)«. Also note that English »to meet someone« can describe a first introduction; German would typically use »jemanden kennenlernen« for that sense.

Synonyms

zusammenkommen zusammentreffen sich begegnen sich zusammenfinden

Related phrases

das Treffen sich verabreden begegnen zusammenkommen sich versammeln kennenlernen