betätige

Betätige is a form of the German verb betätigen, meaning to operate, activate, or actuate. It is most commonly encountered as the informal singular imperative: Betätige den Knopf! The infinitive is betätigen; other finite forms include ich betätige (present first person), du betätigst, er betätigt, wir betätigen, ihr betätigt, sie betätigen. The imperative for formal address is Betätigen Sie.

The verb betätigen is built with the prefix be- added to the stem tätigen, which relates to performing or making or acting. It is used in contexts involving activating a device, commencing an action, or causing a mechanism to operate. The past participle is betätigt, and the simple past is betätigte. As a result, related nouns include Betätigung (actuation or activation) and Aktivierung (activation), commonly used in technical or mechanical language.

Usage notes and examples: betätigen transitive constructions require a direct object, typically a device, switch, or control, e.g., Betätige den Hebel, Betätige den Knopf, Betätigen Sie den Schalter. In technical writing, Betätigung or Betätigung des Schalters may refer to the actuation process itself. The term is widely used in electronics, machinery, and safety instructions, often paired with nouns like Knopf, Schalter, oder Hebel. In everyday language, it can also describe actions such as activating a feature in software or initiating an operation.

See also: Betätigung, Aktivierung, betäti­gen (related verb forms), related verbs such as betreiben (to operate/run) and betreten (to enter).