Bestimmen

Bestimmen is a German verb with several related meanings centered on fixing, deciding, or identifying something. The core idea is to establish the value, nature, or course of something, often through measurement, calculation, decision, or designation.

As a transitive verb, bestimmen requires a direct object. Common usages include den Preis bestimmen (to determine the price), die Größe bestimmen (to determine the size), den Termin bestimmen (to set the date), or das Ergebnis bestimmen (to determine the result). It can also mean to appoint or designate someone for a task or position: eine Person für eine Aufgabe bestimmen; er wurde zum Leiter bestimmt. In scientific and mathematical contexts, bestimmen expresses the act of finding a numerical value or factual result, for example den Wert bestimmen or die Temperatur bestimmen.

Grammatical notes: bestimen is a regular transitive verb with the be- prefix. It forms standard present tense: ich bestimme, du bestimmst, er bestimmt, wir bestimmen, ihr bestimmt, sie bestimmen. The simple past (Präteritum) is bestimment with endings like bestimmte, bestimmten, and the past participle is bestimmt, used with haben to form the perfect: ich habe bestimmt.

Etymology and meaning development: the verb derives from the prefix be- combined with stimmen, historically yielding senses of fixing, fixing in agreement, or deciding. The noun Bestimmung (determination, designation, specification) is a common derivative.

In usage, bestenfalls distinguishes between determining a value or result (measurement or calculation) and appointing a person or fixing a rule or date. While similar in sense to festlegen, bestimmen emphasizes establishment through assessment, choice, or designation.