erkaufen
Translation
to buy, to purchase (at a cost), to bribe
Examples
Er musste sich den Erfolg teuer erkaufen.
He had to buy his success at a high price.
Man kann sich seine Loyalität nicht erkaufen.
You can't buy his loyalty.
Sie versuchte, den Zeugen zu erkaufen.
She tried to bribe the witness.
Grammar Patterns
((sich dat.)) ((sth. acc.)) ((with sth.)) to buy sth. for oneself (at the cost of sth.) He bought himself the victory with unfair means.
((sb. acc.)) ((with sth.)) to bribe sb. (with sth.) They tried to bribe him with money.
((sth. acc.)) to buy sth. You can't buy happiness.
Similar Words
Etymology
From 'er-' (prefix indicating achievement) + 'kaufen' (to buy). Literally, 'to obtain by buying'.
Memory Tips
Think of it as more than just buying with money. It often implies buying something at a high cost (not just monetary) or through bribery.