B2 · 50 words
Saying and thinking in German
The verbs for what somebody said and what they meant — and the ones that say how sure they were.
These verbs do the work of reporting: what was said, how it was said, and how firmly it was meant. Most of them take a dass clause, which sends the verb to the end — Er behauptet, dass er nichts gewusst hat — and in careful writing a reported statement takes the Konjunktiv I instead, which is why German newspapers are full of forms like er sei and sie habe. Choosing between behaupten, erwähnen and betonen is choosing what the speaker was doing, not just what they said.
The words
Verb (45)
redento talkVerbA2
More informal than sprechen and often implies a conversation rather than a language.
erzählento tell, to recountVerbA2
beschreibento describeVerbB1
erwähnento mentionVerbB2
betonento stress, to emphasiseVerbB2
erwidernto reply, to retortVerbC1
einwendento objectVerbC1
bittento ask for, to requestVerbA2
Takes um: jemanden um etwas bitten. Not to be confused with bieten, to offer.
dankento thankVerbA1
Takes the dative.
versprechento promiseVerbB1
zugebento admitVerbB2
leugnento denyVerbC1
bestreitento dispute, to contestVerbC1
andeutento hint atVerbC1
verschweigento keep quiet aboutVerbC1
sich äußernto comment, to express a viewVerbC1
schweigento stay silentVerbB2
flüsternto whisperVerbB2
schreiento shout, to screamVerbB1
rufento callVerbA2
lügento lieVerbB2
verratento give away, to betrayVerbB2
gestehento confessVerbC1
meinento mean, to thinkVerbA2
Both "to be of the opinion" and "to mean by".
zweifelnto doubtVerbB2
überlegento consider, to think overVerbB1
nachdenkento think, to reflectVerbB1
erwägento weigh up, to considerVerbC1
annehmento assume, to acceptVerbB2
sich erinnernto rememberVerbB1
Takes an plus accusative.
einfallento occur to somebodyVerbB2
Takes the dative: mir fällt etwas ein.
auffallento be noticeableVerbB2
begreifento grasp, to getVerbB2
erkennento recognise, to realiseVerbB1
bemerkento notice, to remarkVerbB2
verwechselnto mix up, to confuseVerbB2
entscheidento decideVerbB1
ratento advise, to guessVerbB1
Both "to advise" — with the dative — and "to guess".
unterscheidento distinguishVerbB2
fordernto demandVerbC1
sich berufento refer (to), to citeVerbB2
Forms: beruft sich, berief sich, hat sich berufen. Always with auf: sich auf etwas berufen.
sich erweisento prove (to be), to turn outVerbB2
Forms: erweist sich, erwies sich, hat sich erwiesen.
lautento read, to go (of words)VerbB2
Of a text, a name or a result: Wie lautet Ihre Adresse?
ausschließento rule out, to excludeVerbB2
Separable: schließt aus, schloss aus, ausgeschlossen.
verweisento referVerbB2
Forms: verweist, verwies, verwiesen. auf etwas verweisen: to point to something.
Adjective (4)
umstrittencontroversial, disputedAdjectiveB2
wesentlichessential; considerablyAdjectiveB2
Before a comparative, much: wesentlich besser. im Wesentlichen: essentially.
auffälligstriking, conspicuousAdjectiveB2
bemerkbarnoticeableAdjectiveB2
sich bemerkbar machen: to make itself felt; to draw attention to oneself.
Phrase (1)
zum Vorschein kommento come to light, to appearPhraseB2
This list belongs to Opinions and arguing — ten lists and 501 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.