empfehlt

Empfehlt is a German verb form derived from empfehlen, meaning to recommend or advise. It is most commonly encountered as the present tense form used with the second-person plural subject ihr (you all) or in imperative constructions. The closely related form for the third-person singular is empfiehlt, which can cause confusion because it looks similar but is pronounced differently and represents a different grammatical person.

Usage and examples

In everyday language, empiehlt is used when indicating a recommendation directed at multiple people: Ihr empfehlt diesem Freund dieses Restaurant. It can also appear in the imperative mood: Empfehlt mir etwas, das ich lesen soll. The phrase Es empfiehlt sich is a fixed impersonal construction meaning “it is advisable” or “it is recommended,” and uses empfiehlt (not empfehlt).

Grammar and complements

Empfehlt governs a direct object in the accusative (something to be recommended) and a recipient in the dative (to whom something is recommended): Ich empfehle dir dieses Buch. The past participle is empfohlen, as in Ich habe dieses Buch empfohlen. The noun form for the action is Empfehlung, meaning a recommendation, and related verbs include empfehlen (to recommend) and die Empfehlung (the recommendation).

Etymology and related terms

The verb empfehlen is a compound with the prefix em- and a root related to gebar, with a meaning evolving from “point to someone” or “advise.” It belongs to the standard set of German irregular verbs with stem changes in the present tense (e.g., empfiehlt) and shares related terms such as Empfehlung and empfohlen.