Beauftragen

Beauftragen is a German verb meaning to commission, entrust with a task, or authorize someone to perform a task. It denotes giving formal permission or delegation to another person or entity to carry out a specific responsibility, often within a professional or administrative context. The action can focus on the person who is given the task or on the act of delegating the task itself.

Usage and syntax: Beauftragen is transitive. It can take a person as the direct object and a task or goal as the infinitive clause, for example: Ich beauftrage dich, den Bericht bis Montag zu fertigen. It can also be used with a prepositional complement wie mit + Dativ to assign someone to a role or task, as in: Die Rechtsabteilung wurde mit der Prüfung beauftragt. In passive constructions one can say: Ich wurde von der Firma beauftragt. The noun form Beauftragung refers to the act or process of commissioning.

Relation to related terms: Beauftragen implies a formal delegation or assignment often binding by contract or authority. It is related to Auftrag (order or assignment) but emphasizes the delegation and responsibility granted to the recipient, whereas Auftrag can be broader and less formal. Bevollmächtigen is another related verb meaning to authorize or empower someone to act on one’s behalf, focusing on representation rather than the act of commissioning.

Forms and examples: Present: ich beauftrage, du beauftragst, er beauftragt. Präteritum: ich beauftragte, du beauftragtest, er beauftragte. Perfekt: ich habe beauftragt. Typical contexts include project management, procurement, and official duties within organizations or public administration.