German word

geben

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈgeːbən/

Meaning

  • verbgive

Example

Ich gebe dir morgen das Buch.

I'll give you the book tomorrow.

Illustration for geben (give)

More examples

Er hat mir das Geld gegeben.

He gave me the money.

Core concept

A hand passes an object, opportunity, or right to another person, who can then use or possess it.

Common phrases

  • einen Rat geben

    give advice

  • jemandem etwas geben

    give someone something

  • die Hand geben

    shake hands

Similar words

schenken: Giving an object or money to express thanks or celebrate an occasion.
reichen: Passing a nearby object directly to someone for them to take.
übergeben: Officially placing an object or responsibility under another person's control.
anbieten: Offering something while leaving the choice of acceptance to the other person.

Definition in German

einer Person etwas aushändigen oder überreichen, so dass sie es besitzt oder benutzen kann.

Word origin

German geben continues Old High German geban and Proto-Germanic *gebaną, an inherited Germanic verb meaning to give.

Usage tips

  • The recipient usually appears in the dative before the item in patterns such as jemandem etwas geben.

Other meanings

  • handverb
  • provideverb
  • offerverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word