German

setzen: the Seventh-Most Reused Word in German

setzen: Das 7.-häufigste Wort im Deutschen

October 21, 2026

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setzen ("to set, to place; (sich setzen) to sit down", A2) is the seventh-most reused word-building block in this dictionary's compounds, appearing in 25 different words.

88% verbs

Of the 25 compounds built on setzen, 88% are verbs.

CEFR levels

  • A2 (2 entries): hinsetzen (sich hinsetzen: to sit down), übersetzen (to translate).
  • B1 (4 entries): aufsetzen (to put on (a hat, glasses)), einsetzen (to deploy, to use, to insert), festsetzen (to fix, to set, to determine (a date, price, etc.)), fortsetzen (to continue, to carry on).
  • B2 (9 entries): Umsetzung (implementation), Voraussetzung (prerequisite), absetzen (to drop off; to deduct; to remove), aussetzen (to stop, to skip (a turn); to expose (to risk); to abandon (an animal)), dazusetzen (to sit down with someone, to add (sich dazusetzen)), umsetzen (to implement, to carry out, to put into practice), voraussetzen (to presuppose), zurücksetzen (to reverse; to reset), zusammensetzen (to assemble; (sich) to sit together).
  • C1 (10 entries): Auseinandersetzung (confrontation, debate), ansetzen (to schedule; to begin; to apply), auseinandersetzen (to deal with, to confront (sich)), beisetzen (to inter, to bury), dransetzen (to invest, to put into it), draufsetzen (to put on top), durchsetzen (to enforce; to push through), herabsetzen (to reduce; to belittle), hinwegsetzen (to disregard (sich hinwegsetzen über)), zusetzen (to add; to weigh on).

Grouping by meaning, not just difficulty

Looking at the same 25 compounds by what KIND of thing each one names, rather than how hard it is, splits them into 3 groups:

  1. Literal placing or positioning7
  2. Figurative -- an abstract process or decision15
  3. A noun -- a confrontation, prerequisite, or implementation3
  • Literal placing or positioning (7): aufsetzen, dazusetzen, draufsetzen, einsetzen, festsetzen, hinsetzen, zusammensetzen.
  • Figurative -- an abstract process or decision (15): absetzen, ansetzen, auseinandersetzen, aussetzen, beisetzen, dransetzen, durchsetzen, fortsetzen, herabsetzen, hinwegsetzen, übersetzen, umsetzen, voraussetzen, zurücksetzen, zusetzen.
  • A noun -- a confrontation, prerequisite, or implementation (3): Auseinandersetzung, Umsetzung, Voraussetzung.

Figurative meanings outnumber literal ones here -- more than half the family has drifted away from the physical act of "setting something down" into abstract territory like enforcing (durchsetzen), presupposing (voraussetzen) or translating (übersetzen).

Test yourself: grouping by meaning

Which group does each word belong to?

1 Where does aufsetzen belong?

2 Where does dazusetzen belong?

3 Where does draufsetzen belong?

4 Where does einsetzen belong?

5 Where does festsetzen belong?

6 Where does hinsetzen belong?

7 Where does zusammensetzen belong?

8 Where does absetzen belong?

9 Where does ansetzen belong?

10 Where does auseinandersetzen belong?

11 Where does aussetzen belong?

12 Where does beisetzen belong?

13 Where does dransetzen belong?

14 Where does durchsetzen belong?

15 Where does fortsetzen belong?

16 Where does herabsetzen belong?

17 Where does hinwegsetzen belong?

18 Where does übersetzen belong?

19 Where does umsetzen belong?

20 Where does voraussetzen belong?

21 Where does zurücksetzen belong?

22 Where does zusetzen belong?

23 Where does Auseinandersetzung belong?

24 Where does Umsetzung belong?

25 Where does Voraussetzung belong?

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