German word of the day: Eingewöhnen

Even if you're a fully grown adult, September has a 'back-to-school' feel. This German word is a great one to know as you settle back into a productive routine.

Got your new notebooks and pens at the ready? Or a shiny new desk planner? Or maybe you're finally gearing up to tackle that creative project?

You're not alone. All over the country, kids are starting school or getting back to the classroom, while everyone else is returning to work – or indeed the Bundestag – after the summer vacation period.

But if the first few days of the new season feel a little ungewohnt (unfamiliar), don't worry – settling in takes some time. And Germans have the perfect word for it.

Eingewöhnen , which sounds like this, means to settle into a new environment, routine or situation.

It is most commonly used reflexively – sich eingewöhnen. So you can 'sich in einer neuen Stadt eingewöhnen' (settle into a new city) or 'sich an einem neuen Arbeitsplatz eingewöhnen' (adapt to a new workplace) .

There's also a noun to go with it: die Eingewöhnung which is often used to describe the transitional period during which a child is finding their feet at a Kita or school. You also might hear it when sports reporters are describing how new players are settling into the Bundesliga.

The word comes from gewöhnen – "to get used to" – and is combined with the handy prefix "ein". In this context "ein" gives the word a sense of settling or moving into something.

In the German language this prefix often signals you are integrating something or looking inwards. You can spot the same prefix in words such as einziehen (to move in), einsteigen (to get in/on) and eintreten (to enter).

Even though they mean similar things, it's worth noting the distinction between gewöhnen and eingewöhnen. Sich an etwas gewöhnen generally means to get used to something, while sich eingewöhnen has more of a sense of settling into or finding your feet in a new place or environment.