begeht

Begeht is the third-person singular present indicative form of the German verb begehen. The verb means to commit or to undertake, and its primary uses are transitive. It is commonly applied to committing acts such as crimes or mistakes, and it can also denote the act of observing, performing, or celebrating an event or occasion, depending on context.

Conjugation and key forms: In the present tense the forms are: ich begehe, du begehst, er begeht, wir begehen, ihr begeht, sie begehen. The simple past (Präteritum) forms are: ich beging, du begingst, er beging, wir begingen, ihr begingt, sie begingen. The past participle is begangen, which is used with haben to form the perfect: ich habe einen Fehler begangen. The present passive and other moods are formed with standard auxiliary constructions.

Usage notes: Begehen is typically transitive and requires a direct object when referring to wrongdoing, e.g., eine Straftat begehen (to commit a crime) or einen Fehler begehen (to make a mistake). In the sense of observing or celebrating an event, it can pair with temporal phrases, as in den Jahrestag begehen. The prefix be- in German verbs often marks a transitive action and does not generally separate in simple tenses.

Etymology and related terms: Begehen derives from gehen (to go) with the prefix be-, a common German verb formation. The noun Begehung exists, meaning the act of performing or committing something, or, in legal and formal contexts, the act of committing a crime or the observance of a festival or date.

Examples: Der Angeklagte begeht eine Straftat. Sie begehen heute den Jahrestag ihrer Gründung. Die Begehung einer Straftat wird strafrechtlich verfolgt.