Eisbrecher im Hamburger Hafen: Sicherheit und Training

What does “verkeilen” mean in German?

An icebreaker crew on the Elbe explains their job: break the ice so it can drain away at low tide “und sich nicht verkeilen” — so it doesn’t jam together. Picture two things pressed so hard against each other they lock and won’t budge, like a stuck drawer. “Sich verkeilen” means the pieces wedge into each other on their own. Here, ice blocks could pile up, lock tight, and damage bridges.

In the clip: “dass die bei der Ebbe jetzt vernünftig abfließen können und sich nicht verkeilen” — “so they can drain away properly at low tide and don’t get wedged together.” The root word is “der Keil” (a wedge), so “verkeilen” means to push or force something in like a wedge. Examples: “Der Schlüssel hat sich im Schloss verkeilt” — the key got jammed in the lock. “Die Bretter haben sich ineinander verkeilt” — the boards wedged into each other. You’ll often see “sich verkeilen” when things lock together by themselves, not because a person pushed them that way.