widergeben

Wiedergeben is a German verb meaning to reproduce, render, or relay content that has been observed or recorded elsewhere. It is used for presenting information, scenes, or statements in one’s own words or in a form accessible to an audience. In literary and journalistic contexts, one talks about how a text, a scene, or a testimony is re-presented, often with an emphasis on faithfulness to the original.

Etymology and grammar: the word is formed from wieder ("again") and geben ("to give"). It is commonly used as a separable-prefix verb; in normal word order you say Ich gebe die Szene wieder, Der Bericht gibt die Aussagen wieder. In perfect or passive forms: Der Bericht ist gut wiedergegeben, Die Szene wird wiedergegeben. The phrase wörtlich wiedergeben means to reproduce a quotation verbatim; sinngemäß wiedergeben means to render the sense or meaning.

Usage: Typical contexts include reporting statements (Der Sprecher gibt die Aussagen der Zeugen wieder), summarizing content (Das Kapitel gibt die Argumente der Gegenseite wieder), or describing an artistic representation (Der Film gibt das Buch realitätsnah wieder). The term is common in academic writing, journalism, and media critiques.

Orthography: The correct spelling is wiedergeben. The form widergeben is a frequent misspelling, since many speakers unfamiliar with the prefix confuse wieder with wider.

See also: synonyms include darstellen, übertragen, rekapitulieren; related contrasts include wörtlich wiedergeben (quoting verbatim) versus sinngemäß wiedergeben (paraphrasing).