German word

Bekannte

Pronunciation

IPA/bəˈkantə/

Meaning

  • noun (m./f.)acquaintance

Example

Das ist meine Bekannte.

This is an acquaintance of mine.

Illustration for Bekannte (acquaintance)

More examples

Ich habe gestern eine Bekannte aus der Uni gesehen.

Yesterday I saw an acquaintance from university.

Core concept

A lightly connected person who can be identified and greeted without being a close friend.

Common phrases

  • eine Bekannte aus der Uni

    an acquaintance from university

  • gute Bekannte

    a good acquaintance

Similar words

Bekannter: A male acquaintance known personally but not a close friend.
Freund: A trusted person with a close personal relationship.
Kollege: A person connected through the same workplace or professional activity.
Nachbar: A person who lives in the same building or nearby.

Definition in German

Jemand, den man kennt, ohne dass eine persönliche Freundschaft besteht.

Word origin

Bekannte comes from nominalized bekannt, whose older form bekant is historically connected with kennen, the German verb for knowing a person or fact.

Usage tips

  • As a nominalized adjective, Bekannte is capitalized, and its ending changes in forms such as einer Bekannten.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word