ergattern
Translation
to get hold of, to snag, to manage to get, to scrounge
Examples
Ich konnte noch eine Karte ergattern.
I managed to snag another ticket.
Er hat den letzten freien Platz ergattert.
He got the last free seat.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to snag (sth.) I managed to ergattern the last ticket.
Similar Words
bekommen (to get), erhalten (to receive), sichern (to secure)
Etymology
From the prefix 'er-' (indicating achievement) and 'gattern' (related to 'Gatter', a gate or lattice), perhaps originally 'to catch in an enclosure'.
Memory Tips
Imagine trying to 'get' something through a 'gate' ('Gatter'). You have to work hard to 'ergattern' it, to snag it.