Teamwork with einander
In multiplayer games, teamwork is everything. To express that team members do things "with each other" or "from each other," German uses the reciprocal word einander (each other / one another).
When an action requires a preposition, that preposition attaches directly to the front of einander to form a single, fused word. For example, mit (with) becomes miteinander (with each other), and von (from) becomes voneinander (from each other).
| We had to communicate a lot with each other. | Wir mussten viel miteinander kommunizieren. |
| The players hear nothing from each other without the headset. | Die Spieler hören ohne das Headset nichts voneinander. |
Cooperative or competitive?
You can create a reciprocal adverb out of almost any preposition just by sticking it onto the front of einander.
Notice how zu (to) turns into zueinander to describe behavior toward one another, and gegen (against) turns into gegeneinander for competitive matchups.
| The players should be nice to each other. | Die Spieler sollen nett zueinander sein. |
| We do not play against each other, but with each other. | Wir spielen nicht gegeneinander, sondern miteinander. |
| In this level we fight against each other. | In diesem Level kämpfen wir gegeneinander. |
Prepositions bound to verbs
Remember that many German verbs are paired with specific prepositions. For example, sprechen über means "to speak about," and aufpassen auf means "to look out for."
When the object of these verbs is "each other," the rule stays the exact same: just fuse the required preposition to einander.
| The opponents speak badly about each other. | Die Gegner sprechen schlecht übereinander. |
| We must look out for each other. | Wir müssen aufeinander aufpassen. |
Securing the win
Mastering these reciprocal adverbs will help you coordinate your strategies clearly and secure the victory.
| We communicate with each other and defeat the opponent. | Wir kommunizieren miteinander und besiegen den Gegner. |