bekommst

Bekommst is the second-person singular present tense form of the German verb bekommen, meaning "to receive" or "to get." It is used when the subject receives something or experiences a state resulting from obtaining something, as in Du bekommst heute einen Brief (You are getting a letter today) or Du bekommst Kopfschmerzen (You’re getting a headache).

Etymology and forms: The verb bekommen comes from the prefix be- combined with kommen, with its meaning evolving from “to come to someone” to “to receive/obtain.” The past participle is bekommen, and the auxiliary in perfect tenses is haben, as in Ich habe einen Brief bekommen. The Konjunktiv II form is bekäme (singular) or bekämen (plural). In present tense, the full paradigm includes ich bekomme, du bekommst, er/sie/es bekommt, wir bekommen, ihr bekommt, sie bekommen. The form bekommst is the contracted written representation of du bekommst in speech and writing, typically written as two words: du bekommst.

Usage notes: Bekommen is standard for both tangible objects and non-physical outcomes (e.g., eine Einladung bekommen, Gehaltserhöhung bekommen, Kopfschmerzen bekommen). In formal or written German, erhalten is sometimes preferred for “to receive” in a more formal register, while kriegen is common in colloquial speech. The negative form is Ich habe nichts bekommen; future constructions use werden, e.g., Ich werde etwas bekommen.

Examples: Du bekommst heute Post. Was bekommst du zum Geburtstag? Er hat eine gute Nachricht bekommen. Sie bekommen bald eine neue Wohnung.