German word

merken

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmɛɐ̯kən/

Meaning

  • verbnotice

Example

Ich merke den Fehler nicht.

I don't notice the mistake.

Illustration for merken (notice)

More examples

An seinem Gesichtsausdruck merke ich, dass er nervös ist.

I notice from his facial expression that he is nervous.

Core concept

A mind registering a signal and holding it as something worth noticing.

Common phrases

  • den Fehler merken

    notice the mistake

  • an seinem Gesichtsausdruck merken

    notice from his facial expression

  • eine Änderung merken

    notice a change

Similar words

bemerken: To become aware of a minor event or slight change.
wahrnehmen: To sense or perceive something through the senses or awareness.
erkennen: To identify something and understand what it is.
sich erinnern: To bring a past event or fact back to mind.

Definition in German

Etwas wahrnehmen und erkennen, dass es vorhanden oder verändert ist.

Word origin

Merken comes from Old High German merken and is related to English mark, reflecting an older idea of marking or paying heed.

Usage tips

  • Merken means noticing or sensing, while sich etwas merken means committing something to memory.

Other meanings

  • rememberverb
  • feelverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word