vergeben

German

Etymology

From Middle High German vergeben, from Old High German fargeban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną. Analyzable as ver- +‎ geben. Cognate with Dutch vergeven, English forgive, Icelandic fyrirgefa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɛʁˈɡeːbən/, /fɐ-/, [fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːbən], [fɐˈɡeːbən], [-ˈɡeːbm̩]

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

1. (transitive or intransitive, + dative) to forgive

   Kannst du mir vergeben?

   Can you forgive me?

   Vergib mir meine Sünden!

   Forgive me my sins.

2. (transitive, with an + accusative) to assign; to allocate; to give (a job); to give or set (a task); to award (a contract)

   Wir haben den Auftrag an ein Drittunternehmen vergeben.

   We have awarded the contract to an external company.

Usage notes

• Vergeben implies a greater degree of moral guilt than verzeihen. It is used in the context of sin or crime, or otherwise of severe misbehaviour, such as acts of violence, insult, humiliation, deceit, and the like.
• The noun corresponding to the sense “to forgive” is Vergebung, while that corresponding to the sense “to assign” is Vergabe.

Synonyms

• (forgive): verzeihen

Adjective

vergeben (not comparable)

1. taken; not free
2. (informal) not single: married or in a relationship

Further reading

• “vergeben” in Duden online