Bekleiden

Bekleiden is a German verb with two main senses. In the physical sense it means to clothe or dress someone, that is to provide clothing or to dress a person. In a figurative sense it means to hold or occupy a public or official position or office, as in “eine Stelle bekleiden.”

Etymology and basics: Bekleiden is formed from the verb kleiden, meaning to clothe, with the prefix be- which in German often marks a transitive verb. The combination has been used since the Middle High German period, evolving into the modern form bekleiden. The related noun Bekleidung refers to clothing or apparel.

Usage and grammar: Bekleiden is a transitive verb and commonly requires a direct object when used in the clothing sense (jemanden bekleiden, etwas bekleiden). In the office sense it is used with a position, such as “eine Stelle bekleiden,” “das Amt bekleiden,” or “eine Führungsposition bekleiden.” The past participle is bekleidet, and the verb forms regularly in tenses (ich bekleide, du bekleidest, er bekleidet; wir bekleiden, ihr bekleidet, sie bekleiden). A reflexive use exists as well: “sich bekleiden,” meaning to dress oneself, often in formal or literary contexts, e.g., “Ich habe mich mit einem Mantel bekleidet.”

Nuances and examples: In institutional language one might say, “Der Verein bekleidet die Stelle des Vorsitzenden,” or “Sie bekleidet seit zwei Jahren das Amt der Bürgermeisterin.” In everyday use, “Er bekleidet sich täglich mit formeller Kleidung” is less common; more typical would be “Er kleidet sich formell.” The term is distinct from Bekleidung, the noun for clothing, and from kleiden, the base verb meaning to clothe.