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bekennen
/bəˈkɛnən/
to confess
Er musste seine Schuld bekennen.
He had to confess his guilt.
formal
to admit or acknowledge something, often something personal or shameful
Sie hat ihre Liebe zu ihm bekannt.
She confessed her love for him.
Er bekannte sich schuldig.
He pleaded guilty.
Commonly used in legal, religious, or personal contexts.
formal
to declare or affirm one's faith or beliefs
Sie bekannte sich zum Christentum.
She professed her faith in Christianity.
Often used in religious or ideological contexts.
Collocations
seine Schuld bekennento confess one's guiltseine Liebe bekennento confess one's lovesich zu etwas bekennento declare oneself for something
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Reflexive Use
Use 'sich bekennen' when referring to personal beliefs or affiliations (e.g., 'Er bekennt sich zum Islam' = 'He professes the Islamic faith').
Gold Rule
Legal vs. Personal Context
In legal contexts, 'bekennen' often translates to 'plead guilty' (e.g., 'Er bekannte sich schuldig' = 'He pleaded guilty'). In personal contexts, it means 'to confess' or 'to admit'.
Word Origin
From Middle High German 'bekennen', from Old High German 'bikennan', from Proto-Germanic '*bikannjaną' (to acknowledge), from '*bi-' (intensive prefix) + '*kannjaną' (to know). Related to English 'can' and 'know'.
Usage Notes
The verb 'bekennen' is often used reflexively with 'sich' when referring to personal beliefs or affiliations (e.g., 'sich zu etwas bekennen'). In legal contexts, it can mean 'to plead guilty'.
Word Breakdown
be-
intensive prefix
prefix-kennen
to know
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