bessern

Bessern is a German verb with two primary meanings. In the concrete sense it denotes repairing or mending a defect or damage, often in everyday speech and in technical contexts. In this use, speakers frequently pair it with related forms such as ausbessern or reparieren, since ausbessern is the more common expression for patching up faults or deficiencies.

In a more abstract sense, bessern also means to improve something or to become better. This use is common with theories of quality or conditions, and it appears in reflexive form as sich bessern when referring to a person’s behavior or conduct. For example, one can say that someone has sich bessert or that a situation has begun, or needs, to sich bessern.

Noun forms related to the verb include Besserung, which denotes improvement or correction, and is used in contexts ranging from formal reports to idiomatic expressions like zur Besserung.

Bessern is often considered less common in everyday speech for general improvement than the synonym verbessern, which covers quality enhancement in a broad sense. For repairs, ausbessern or reparieren are typically preferred, while sich bessern is the standard expression for personal or situational improvement.