Entgegnehmen

Entgegnehmen is a separable German verb that means to receive or accept something that is offered or delivered by another person or party. The prefix entge- combines with nehmen (to take) to convey the idea of taking delivery or acknowledging receipt in response to an offer or delivery.

In use, the prefix is separated in the present tense: er nimmt entgegen. The infinitive is entgegnehmen; the past participle is entgegengenommen, used with the auxiliary haben (e.g., Er hat die Lieferung entgegengenommen). This verb governs a direct object in the accusative, such as ein Paket, eine Lieferung, eine Nachricht, eine Einladung oder einen Vorschlag: Der Empfänger nimmt das Paket entgegen.

Typical contexts for entgegnehmen are formal or administrative settings. It is often used when accepting deliveries, acknowledging received communications, or formally taking receipt of something that has been offered or sent by another party. Examples include: Die Firma hat die Lieferung entgegengenommen. Sie nahm die Einladung dankend entgegen. In contrast to entgegnehmen, the verb annehmen is more general and can refer to accepting offers, propositions, or conditions in broader, less formal contexts.

Note that entgegnehmen is distinct from entnehmen, which means to deduce, infer, or extract information or items from a source. The two verbs are not interchangeable in typical usage.

Overall, entgegnehmen conveys a formal sense of receiving or accepting something that has been offered or delivered, with common emphasis on taking possession or acknowledging receipt.