verkaufen vs absetzen
German word comparison
Listen to verkaufen
Listen to absetzen
| verkaufen | absetzen |
|---|---|
ver-KAU-fen verb | [ˈapˌzɛtsən] (AB-zet-sen) verb |
| to sell (to transfer ownership of something in exchange for money) | to sell or move goods on the market; to dispose of stock (focus on sales performance or marketability) |
How they differ
Absetzen focuses on selling goods as a commercial outcome or the ability to sell (e.g., 'to sell well' or 'to get rid of inventory') rather than the single act of handing an item to a buyer; you cannot always substitute it for verkaufen in direct one-to-one sale statements.
When to use each
When to use verkaufen: Prefer verkaufen when referring to a specific transaction (I sell X to you) or in neutral consumer contexts.
When to use absetzen: Prefer absetzen when talking about whether a product or stock can be sold on the market, sales performance or company-level distribution.
Side-by-side examples
- Wir verkaufen die neuen Schuhe im Laden.
(We sell the new shoes in the shop.) - Die neuen Schuhe lassen sich sehr gut absetzen.
(The new shoes sell very well / can be moved off the shelves easily.)
Register & nuance: Absetzen is standard business/commerce vocabulary; it's common in press, marketing and trade contexts but less used for single, personal transactions.