English–German
“recognize” in German
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛɐ̯ˈkɛnən/
Example
Auf dem Foto kann ich sein Gesicht nicht erkennen.
I can't recognize his face in the photo.
How to say “recognize” in German
“Recognize” in German is erkennen.
The mind compares a present face, object, or fact with what it already knows and reaches a clear match.
Example sentences with erkennen
Ich habe ihn nach zehn Jahren auf der Straße erkannt.
I recognized him on the street after ten years.
Tips for using erkennen
- The object of erkennen is normally accusative: Sie erkennt ihn means 'She recognizes him', while Sie erkennt ihm is incorrect.
Other German words for “recognize”
Der Lehrer hat ihre Verbesserung anerkannt.
The teacher recognized her improvement.