In conversational speech, "raffen" seems to mean both "to make money" and "to understand something." Are both meanings equally common, and is one more formal than the other? Do Germans just determine which meaning is meant by the context in which it is used?

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In German, the verb "raffen" indeed has two different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.

1. "Raffen" meaning "to make money": This meaning is more commonly used in colloquial speech and informal contexts. It is often used to describe someone who is trying to make money quickly or by any means necessary. For example, "Er rafft alles Geld zusammen, das er finden kann" (He gathers all the money he can find).

2. "Raffen" meaning "to understand something": This meaning is less common but still used in conversational speech. It is often used to describe someone who quickly grasps a concept or idea. For example, "Sie hat das Problem sofort gerafft" (She immediately understood the problem).

In general, the context in which "raffen" is used will determine which meaning is intended. Germans will understand the intended meaning based on the context of the conversation. The meaning related to making money is more informal, while the meaning related to understanding something can be used in both informal and formal contexts, depending on the situation.