hochnehmen

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhoːxˌneːmən/, [ˈhoːχˌneː.mən], [-.mn̩], [-.mm̩]

Verb

1. to take upstairs; to take to an elevated place

   Nimm Sarah doch mal hoch und zeig ihr dein Zimmer.

   Why don’t you take Sarah upstairs and show her your room?

2. to lift (something) up, especially momentarily, in order to see what is under it or put something beneath it

   Nimm den Blumentopf mal eben hoch, damit ich da putzen kann.

   Please lift up the flowerpot for a second, so I can clean the spot.

3. to lift up (a child) in order to carry it

   Willst du noch laufen oder soll ich dich hochnehmen?

   Do you still want to walk or should I lift you up and carry you?

4. (idiomatic) to tease; to wind up; to have on; to tell somebody something untrue in order to provoke an amusing reaction

   Ach, ihr nehmt mich doch hoch, oder?

   Man, you guys are winding me up, aren’t you?

5. (idiomatic, law enforcement) to crack down on; to round up; to arrest, especially after a period of observation

   Die Sache wird mir zu heikel, Männer. Morgen nehmen wir sie hoch.

   This is getting precarious, guys. We’re rounding them up tomorrow.

Synonyms

• (lift up a child): auf den Arm nehmen
• (tease): auf den Arm nehmen

Further reading

• “hochnehmen” in Duden online