geben
German, verb[ˈɡeːb(ə)n]
geben is a German verb meaning “to give (changing ownership)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The German Wiktionary defines it as “jemandem etwas reichen beziehungsweise in die Nähe oder Hände legen”.
What does geben mean in English?
verb
- 1
to give (changing ownership)
Meine Frau hat mir eine neue Uhr gegeben.
- 2
to hand, to pass, to put within reach
Gib mir das!
- 3
Used to indicate that something exists (often with a certain property and/or in a certain location). Usually translated as there is/are or there exist(s)
Gibt es gute Schulen in der Nähe?
- 4
Used to indicate that something is on offer or being handed out, e.g. food for a meal or items sold in a shop
Was gibt es heute zum Mittag?
- 5
to communicate (helpful information such as a hint or advice), to signal (in a certain way such as a sign)
Darf ich dir einen Rat geben?
- 6
to present; to put
- 7
to result in
- 8
to stop, to pass, to sort itself out (of difficulties, problems, pain, etc.)
Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How German dictionaries define it
verb: 1. jemandem etwas reichen beziehungsweise in die Nähe oder Hände legen 2. da sein; vorhanden sein 3. etwas an oder in etwas tun 4. langsam weniger werden; schwächer werden; nachlassen, bis es verschwunden ist
noun: 1. Handlung, etwas zu geben 2. Austeilen von Karten beim Kartenspiel
The definition in the German Wiktionary, in German.
Source: German Wiktionary, dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of geben
- gibt present singular third-person
- gab past
- gegeben participle past
- gäbe past subjunctive
- haben auxiliary
- 5 strong
- gebend participle present
- gebe first-person indicative present
- gibst indicative present second-person
- gebt indicative plural present
- gebest second-person singular subjunctive
- gebet plural second-person subjunctive
- gaben first-person indicative plural
- gäben first-person plural subjunctive
- gabst indicative preterite second-person
- gabt indicative plural preterite
- gäbest second-person singular subjunctive
- gäbst second-person singular subjunctive
Source: English Wiktionary and German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce geben?
- [ˈɡeːb(ə)n]
- Germany [ˈɡeːbm̩]
- [ˈɡ̊eːb̥ɛn]
Sources: English Wiktionary, German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to geben
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is geben in German?
geben appears 398 times per million words in written German.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).