Bekannte

Bekannte is a German term with two main uses: as an adjective meaning known or well known, and as a noun meaning an acquaintance or a person one knows. The meaning and the form depend on capitalization and grammatical role in a sentence.

As an adjective, bekannt is the base form meaning “known” or “well known.” It is declined according to gender, number, and case, and can appear in several common phrases. Examples include: ein bekannter Autor (a well-known author), eine bekannte Sängerin (a well-known singer), das bekannte Problem (the well-known problem). After a definite article or other determiner, the endings follow the weak inflection pattern: der bekannte Mann, die bekannte Frau, das bekannte Kind, die bekannten Leute. In predicative use, it can appear as "Das ist bekannt" (That is known) or "Er ist bekannt" (He is known).

As a noun, Bekannte refers to people one knows: acquaintances. The noun is capitalized. The singular forms are der Bekannte (masculine) or die Bekannte (feminine), both meaning “the acquaintance” or “a known person.” The plural is die Bekannten, to denote multiple people one knows. In usage without an article, one can say: viele Bekannte (many acquaintances). The noun can describe a person encountered personally rather than a public figure.

Etymology and usage notes: Bekannt is formed with the prefix be- added to kennen (to know), yielding “known” or “well-known.” The noun Bekannte derives from the adjective and functions as a common term for social connections. The word is widely used in formal and informal German, with the meaning clarified by context.

See also: bekanntes, Bekanntschaft (acquaintanceship), Bekanntgabe (announcement).