beantworten

Beantworten is a transitive German verb meaning to answer or to respond to something, typically a question, a request, or a statement. It requires a direct object in the accusative. Common constructions include ich beantworte die Frage and er hat die E-Mail schnell beantwortet. Beantworten can also appear with auf to indicate replying to something: er antwortet auf die Frage. The prefix be- is inseparable, so the verb form never splits (for example, beantwortet, beantwortete).

Conjugation follows regular patterns associated with the be- prefix. Present: ich beantworte, du beantwortest, er beantwortet, wir beantworten, ihr beantwortet, sie beantworten. Präteritum: ich beantwortete, du beantwortetest, er beantwortete, wir beantworteten, ihr beantwortetet, sie beantworteten. Perfect: ich habe beantwortet, du hast beantwortet, er hat beantwortet. Passive: Die Frage wird beantwortet.

Usage notes: Beantworten is common in formal writing and in contexts that emphasize a complete or precise reply, such as exams, customer service, or official correspondence. Its synonyms include antworten (to respond) and die Beantwortung einer Frage (the act of answering a question) as a noun. Distinction: antworten is intransitive and often used with dative or auf + Akkusativ; beantworten takes a direct object, typically a question, request, or statement.

Related forms: Beantwortung (the act of answering), Antwort (an answer or reply). Example: Die Beantwortung der Frage war hilfreich. Beantworten thus functions as the direct-action counterpart to the broader noun and verb family around answering in German.