übelnehmen

Übelnehmen is a German verb meaning to take offense, to resent something someone has done, or to feel wronged by it. The act usually implies that the offender’s action is perceived as hurtful or inappropriate and that the hurt is treated as a grievance rather than a simple disagreement.

Grammatical pattern and usage: übelnehmen is used with a dative object referring to the person whom the resentment is directed at and an accusative object referring to the perceived offense. The common construction is someone (dative) + etwas (accusative) + übelnehmen. Example: Ich habe ihm das übel genommen. (I resented that from him.) Another example: Ich habe dir das übel genommen. In everyday speech, people also say in a reassuring sense: Nimm es mir nicht übel (Please don’t take it amiss). The related phrase etwas nicht übelnehmen expresses not taking offense or not holding a grudge.

Nuance: übelnehmen tends to convey a stronger, longer-lasting reaction than a fleeting annoyance. It is often used in recounting interpersonal conflicts or judgments about behavior, rather than for minor disagreements.

See also: Beleidigung, Kränkung, Ärger, nicht übel nehmen. The expression in English is typically translated as “to take offense” or “to take it ill,” with the common idiom “not to take it ill” or “not to take it personally.”