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I want to create some reciprocal sentence, but I'm not sure, whether their german equivalent is fine. I think himself and by himself have only one german translation that could be selbst. In my following examples I would like to prefer using selb and -einander. Maybe some translation of them could be simply gegenseitig but I especially would like to find out the usage of by/ -self -selves, one another, each other.

(1) one another --> The three sisters are devoted to one another. (Die drei Schwestern sind einander gewidmet.[possible: miteinander?])

(2) each other --> The children had a fight and started to hit each other. (Die Kinder hatten einen Streit und begannen einander zu schlagen.)

(3) myself -->I'm not sure if I'll type my paper myself. (Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich meine Arbeit selber schreiben[possible: selbst?].)

(4) by himself--> He’s lived by himself since his wife died. (Er lebt selbst seit dem Tod seiner Frau.)

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  • There is no reciprocity in (3) nor (4).
    – chirlu
    Dec 6, 2015 at 20:31
  • @chirlu yes you're right, i must find a proper title for my question
    – Dragut
    Dec 6, 2015 at 20:33

1 Answer 1

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3

(1)
»Widmen« is very wrong here. The verb »widmen« means: to dedicate. You can not dedicate a person to another person. Possible translations are:

Die drei Schwestern sind einander ergeben.
Die drei Schwestern sind einander zugetan.
Die drei Schwestern sind einander treu.
Die drei Schwestern hängen aneinander.

(2)

Die Kinder hatten eine Streit und begannen einander zu schlagen.
Die Kinder hatten eine Streit und begannen sich gegenseitig zu schlagen.

(3)

Ich bin (mir) nicht sicher, ob ich meine Arbeit selbst schreibe.
Ich bin (mir) nicht sicher, ob ich meine Arbeit selber schreibe.

(4)

Er lebt allein nachdem/seitdem seine Frau gestorben war.

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  • Using einander there is a hidden dative case, right? To 3: using mir is optional?
    – user1474062
    Dec 6, 2015 at 23:33
  • @user1474062: Einander: No. The verb makes the case. Jemandem ergeben sein, jemandem zugetan sein, jemandem treu sein, an jemandem hängen. But: Jemanden schlagen. So in all sentences in (1) einander by accident is in dative case. But in the 1st sentence in (2) einander is in accusative case because »schlagen« generates accusative case. About »mir«: Jes it is optional, but it chaneges the meaning a little bit.
    – Hubert Schölnast
    Dec 7, 2015 at 8:23
  • How about "of each other. e.g. they are something of each other." voneinander possible?
    – Dragut
    Dec 7, 2015 at 11:41
  • @Bergmann: Please write full sentences. (Your question ... no verb!) I didn't understand what you wanted to ask.
    – Hubert Schölnast
    Dec 7, 2015 at 12:43
  • @HubertSchölnast what could be translation of "...of each other. e.g. they are the hyponyms of each other." voneinander could be right translation for of each other ?
    – Dragut
    Dec 7, 2015 at 13:36

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