Bekommen vs. erhalten vs. kriegen vs. erwerben vs. erlangen
The German verbs bekommen, erhalten, kriegen, erwerben, and erlangen can all be translated as to get, to obtain, or to acquire. However, they are not always interchangeable. The differences lie primarily in the level of formality and the specific nature of how something comes into your possession. While some words describe a passive reception of a physical object, others emphasize the active effort, financial transaction, or time required to reach an abstract goal.
Bekommen
The verb bekommen is the most standard and universal German word for to get or to receive. It is completely neutral in tone and is used in almost any everyday situation, both in writing and speaking. You use bekommen when you passively receive physical objects, gifts, grades, messages, or even diseases.
Ich habe gestern ein großes Paket aus Spanien bekommen.
(I got a large package from Spain yesterday.)
Wir bekommen nächste Woche Besuch von unseren Verwandten.
(We are getting visitors from our relatives next week.)
Sie hat eine sehr gute Note in der Prüfung bekommen.
(She got a very good grade on the exam.)
Hast du meine E-Mail mit den Dokumenten bekommen?
(Did you get my email with the documents?)
Er ist im Regen spazieren gegangen und hat eine Grippe bekommen.
(He went for a walk in the rain and caught a flu.)
Erhalten
The verb erhalten is a more formal equivalent to bekommen. It is primarily used in written German, professional correspondence, business contexts, and official documents. You typically use erhalten when referring to receiving formal letters, official permissions, awards, or professional responses.
Wir haben Ihre Bewerbung für die offene Stelle dankend erhalten.
(We have thankfully received your application for the open position.)
Der Forscher hat einen internationalen Preis für seine Arbeit erhalten.
(The researcher received an international award for his work.)
Sie erhalten in Kürze eine schriftliche Bestätigung von uns.
(You will receive a written confirmation from us shortly.)
Das städtische Museum hat eine wertvolle neue Kunstsammlung erhalten.
(The municipal museum received a valuable new art collection.)
Haben Sie mein Schreiben vom vergangenen Dienstag erhalten?
(Did you receive my letter from last Tuesday?)
Kriegen
The word kriegen is the highly colloquial and informal version of bekommen. It is used very frequently in everyday spoken German among friends and family, but it should be strictly avoided in formal writing or professional contexts. It carries the exact same meaning as bekommen in the sense of getting or receiving something.
Was hast du dieses Jahr zum Geburtstag gekriegt?
(What did you get for your birthday this year?)
Ich kriege noch fünf Euro von dir für das Mittagessen.
(You still owe me five euros for lunch.)
Kriegen wir heute noch etwas zu essen oder bleibt die Küche kalt?
(Are we still getting something to eat today or will the kitchen stay cold?)
Zieh dir eine Jacke an, sonst kriegst du eine Erkältung.
(Put on a jacket, otherwise you will catch a cold.)
Er hat großen Ärger mit seinem Chef gekriegt.
(He got into a lot of trouble with his boss.)
Erwerben
The verb erwerben translates to to acquire or to purchase. It emphasizes an active process of gaining something through a financial transaction or through deliberate effort and learning. It is mostly used for buying valuable assets like real estate or companies, as well as for actively acquiring knowledge, skills, or professional qualifications.
Sie hat das alte Haus zu einem unglaublich guten Preis erworben.
(She acquired the old house at an incredibly good price.)
Während eines Auslandsjahres kann man viele neue sprachliche Fähigkeiten erwerben.
(During a year abroad, one can acquire many new language skills.)
Das große Unternehmen hat kürzlich einen kleineren Konkurrenten erworben.
(The large company recently acquired a smaller competitor.)
Er hat sein umfangreiches Wissen durch jahrelange praktische Erfahrung erworben.
(He acquired his extensive knowledge through years of practical experience.)
Um diesen Beruf auszuüben, müssen Sie zuerst ein staatliches Zertifikat erwerben.
(In order to practice this profession, you must first acquire a state certificate.)
Erlangen
The verb erlangen is a very formal word that translates to to attain, to gain, or to achieve. It is used almost exclusively with abstract concepts such as freedom, fame, control, certainty, or academic degrees. It strongly implies that a significant amount of time, struggle, or intellectual effort was necessary to reach the desired state.
Das Land hat nach vielen Jahren des Krieges endlich die Unabhängigkeit erlangt.
(The country finally attained independence after many years of war.)
Der Schauspieler hat durch diese eine besondere Rolle weltweite Berühmtheit erlangt.
(The actor achieved worldwide fame through this one special role.)
Die Polizei konnte durch die Befragung neue Erkenntnisse in dem Fall erlangen.
(The police were able to gain new insights into the case through the interrogation.)
Es ist in der Wissenschaft oft schwer, absolute Gewissheit über ein Thema zu erlangen.
(In science, it is often difficult to attain absolute certainty about a topic.)
Nach langem und anstrengendem Studium hat sie den Doktortitel erlangt.
(After a long and exhausting period of study, she obtained her doctorate degree.)
Summary
To summarize, choosing the right verb depends on context and formality. Use bekommen as your standard, neutral default for getting things. In casual, spoken conversations, you can use kriegen. When writing formal letters or official documents, switch to erhalten. If you are buying an asset or learning a specific skill, erwerben is the correct choice. Finally, reserve the highly formal erlangen for when someone achieves or attains a hard-fought abstract goal, such as freedom, fame, or knowledge.