befähigen

Befähigen is a transitive German verb meaning to enable someone to perform a task or to equip them with the necessary skills, capacity, or authority. It often implies providing training or qualifications that make a person capable of acting in a specific role or situation. In English, it is commonly rendered as "to enable" or "to empower."

Etymology and sense: befähigen is formed from the adjective fähig (able) with the prefix be-, which commonly conveys a causative or attributive sense. The word denotes an act that endows another person with the ability to do something.

Usage and construction: The standard pattern is jemanden (Akk) zu etwas befähigen, or befähigen, etwas zu tun. For example: Die Ausbildung befähigt die Mitarbeiter, komplexe Aufgaben zu bewältigen. In perfect form, it is built with haben: Die Ausbildung hat ihn befähigt, die Prüfung zu bestehen. The verb does not take a separable prefix, and its past participle is befähigt.

Nuance and context: Befähigen emphasizes the acquisition of competence or qualification, typically through training, education, or experience. It is distinct from ermächtigen, which stresses granting authority or power, and from ermöglichen, which means to make something possible more generally. Befähigen often appears in educational, organizational, or policy contexts where individuals or groups are prepared to perform tasks independently.

Synonyms and related terms include ermöglich, qualifizieren, ausbilden and schulen. Antonyms are mainly forms of hindering or preventing capability, though these are rarely expressed directly with befähigen.

Examples illustrate its use in professional, civic, or educational settings to describe processes that grant someone the ability to act effectively.