beipflichten

Beipflichten is a German verb meaning to concur with or assent to a statement, opinion, or judgment, that is, to express agreement or endorsement. The term is relatively formal and is common in written German, academic discussions, legal contexts, and careful reporting.

Usage and construction

Beipflichten is typically used with a dative object referring to the person or proposition whose view is being endorsed, or with a noun phrase in the dative that names the opinion. Examples include:

- Ich beipflichte Ihrem Standpunkt. (I concur with your position.)

- Der Zeuge beipflichtet dem Gutachten des Sachverständigen. (The witness concurs with the expert’s report.)

- Ich beipflichte der Auffassung, dass … . (I share the view that …)

Grammatical notes

Beipflichten is a regular verb. Conjugation in the present tense: ich beipflichte; du beipflichtest; er beipflichtet; wir beipflichten; ihr beipflichtet; sie beipflichten. The simple past is beipflichtete, and the perfect is hat beipflichtet. The construction emphasizes intellectual agreement rather than habitual approval and is therefore often found in formal or analytical contexts. It is less common in casual conversation, where words like zustimmen or teilen are more typical.

Nuance and relation to related terms

Beipflichten implies alignment with a stated proposition or judgment rather than a general liking or emotional support. It is closely related to synonyms such as zustimmen (to agree) and sich anschließen (to join in), but it carries a more formal, argumentative tone. In practice, beipflichten signals a considered concurrence with a specific assertion rather than a broad endorsement.