German Conversation · Level 78
59 words
German word
betreten
Pronunciation
IPA/bəˈtʁeːtən/
Meaning
- verbenter
Example
Ich betrete den Raum.
I enter the room.
More examples
Nervös betritt sie die Bühne und lächelt ins Publikum.
Nervously, she steps onto the stage and smiles at the audience.
Core concept
A foot crosses a threshold into a room, with the same person looking awkward after being caught there.
Common phrases
die Bühne betreten
step onto the stage
einen Raum betreten
enter a room
Similar words
eintreten: Stepping inside through a door or other entrance.
hineingehen: Going from outside into an enclosed area.
reinkommen: Coming inside from outside in casual speech.
Definition in German
An einen Ort gehen, indem man seine Schwelle überschreitet; meist transitiv gebraucht; im Partizip Perfekt auch als Adjektiv 'verlegen' verwendet.
Word origin
The verb comes from Germanic treten, 'to step' or 'tread', with be- forming betreten; the past participle later gained its adjective sense of embarrassed.
Usage tips
- The adjective betreten commonly appears before nouns in phrases such as betretenes Schweigen, meaning an awkward silence.