bedeuten

Bedeuten is a German verb meaning to mean, signify or denote. It is used to express the meaning of words, signs, statements, or events, and can indicate the implication or consequence of something.

As a transitive verb, bedeuten takes a direct object that names what is meant, for example: "Dieses Symbol bedeutet Frieden." It can also be followed by a clause introduced by dass or by the phrase "das bedeutet, dass...". The phrase "bedeutet für" expresses significance or consequence for someone or something: "Das bedeutet viel für mich."

Conjugation and forms: in the present tense, ich bedeute, du bedeutest, er bedeutet, wir bedeuten, ihr bedeutet, Sie bedeuten. In the simple past (Präteritum) forms: ich bedeutete, du bedeutetest, er bedeutete, wir bedeuteten, ihr bedeutetet, Sie bedeuteten. The past participle (Partizip II) is bedeutet, and the perfect tense is formed with haben: es hat bedeutet.

Etymology and related forms: bedeuten is formed with the prefix be- added to deuten (to interpret). It is connected to the noun Bedeutung (meaning, significance) and to the adjective bedeutend (important). These terms share the same semantic field of meaning and interpretation.

Usage notes: bedeuten is common in everyday language to express meaning, implication, or consequence. It often contrasts with deuten, which emphasizes interpretation or indication rather than meaning itself. The noun form Bedeutung is used to denote the significance of a word, sign, or event.