Bekommen

Bekommen is a German verb meaning to receive, obtain, or contract. It is used for the reception of tangible objects (for example, “Ich habe einen Brief bekommen”) as well as for experiences, benefits, or conditions (for example, “eine Belohnung bekommen” or “eine Erkältung bekommen”). In everyday speech it also functions as the general verb for “to get,” while more formal contexts often prefer erhalten. In some dialects or registers, kriegen is heard as a colloquial alternative.

Grammatically, bekommen is a transitive verb built with the prefix be- added to kommen; it is not separable. It takes a direct object in the accusative: “Ich bekomme einen Brief.” The present tense forms are: ich bekomme, du bekommst, er/sie/es bekommt, wir bekommen, ihr bekommt, Sie bekommen. The preterite forms are: ich bekam, du bekamst, er bekam, wir bekamen, ihr bekamt, sie bekamen. The past participle is bekommen, and the auxiliary in the perfect is haben, as in “Ich habe einen Brief bekommen.”

Usage notes include the distinction from erhalten: erhalten is more formal and common in written language, while bekommen and kriegen are frequent in spoken German, with kriegen carrying a more colloquial or regional flavor. Common collocations include “Post bekommen,” “eine Nachricht bekommen,” “eine Erkältung bekommen,” and “eine Chance bekommen.”

Examples:

Ich habe heute Post bekommen.

Hast du schon eine E-Mail bekommen?

Sie hat eine Erkältung bekommen.

Wir bekommen bald Besuch.