Bestreitest

Bestreitest is the second-person singular present indicative form of the German verb bestreiten. The verb means to dispute the truth of a statement, to challenge a claim, or to deny an assertion. It conveys more than a simple denial; it emphasizes contesting the accuracy of what is claimed.

The prefix be- attached to streiten (to argue) creates a verb whose sense is to contest or refute a claim. The prefix is inseparable, and the word is used with a direct object or with a clause introduced by dass. For example: Du bestreitest die Behauptung. Du bestreitest, dass die Behauptung wahr ist. In political or legal contexts it is common to encounter phrases such as Der Angeklagte bestreitet die Vorwürfe.

Grammar notes: Bestreiten is transitive and governs the object that is being disputed. It can appear in various tenses, with the present tense form shown above. In the perfect, the auxiliary hat is used with the past participle bestritten (Er hat bestritten).

Nuance and usage: Bestreiten tends to imply a formal or reasoned challenge to the claim’s validity, rather than a simple negation. It is closely related to but distinct from leugnen (to deny) and abstreiten (to repudiate, often with moral or formal overtones). In everyday language, it is common enough but carries a sense of argument or debate about the truth of something.

See also: Leugnen, Abstreiten, Behauptung, Vorwürfe.