begehen

Begehen is a German verb that means to carry out, to perform, to commit, or to observe. It is formed with the inseparable prefix be- attached to gehen, and the meaning depends on the object that follows.

In its primary sense, begehen means to commit or perpetrate a crime or wrongdoing. Common collocations include eine Straftat begehen, ein Verbrechen begehen, or einen Fehler begehen. It can also mean to perform a particular action, for example eine Tat begehen or eine Handlung begehen.

Begehen also has a temporal sense of observing or commemorating a date or occasion: den Jahrestag begehen, ein Jubiläum begehen, eine Gedenkfeier begehen. In this use, it is close in meaning to feiern, though it emphasizes the act of observation rather than festive celebration.

Grammar notes: begehen is an inseparable prefixed verb. The past participle is begangen, and in the perfect tense it takes haben, as in ich habe begangen. The simple past (Präteritum) forms exist but are less common in everyday speech and tend to be used in formal writing or historical narratives.

Usage and nuances: begehen tends to be more formal or neutral than synonyms like verüben (to perpetrate) or feiern (to celebrate). It appears frequently in legal, ethical, or formal contexts, as well as in calendar-related language when referring to commemorating dates.

Etymology: the word combines the prefix be- with gehen; the prefix is not separable, and the verb has long historical usage in German.