nehmen vs annehmen
German word comparison
Listen to nehmen
Listen to annehmen
| nehmen | annehmen |
|---|---|
NAY-men verb | ˈanˌneːmən verb |
| to take; to accept; to have (when ordering) | to accept (an offer, invitation, or assumption) |
How they differ
Annehmen specifically means to accept or agree to something (an offer, invitation, responsibility, or a presumption). Nehmen can mean 'take' in many senses (physically taking, ordering, or accepting), but annehmen emphasises consent or agreement rather than mere acquisition.
When to use each
When to use nehmen: Prefer nehmen when you mean to take or have something in a neutral sense (e.g., picking something up or choosing an item in a café).
When to use annehmen: Use annehmen when you want to express accepting an offer, invitation, responsibility, or when acknowledging something as true.
Side-by-side examples
- Ich nehme das Angebot.
(I'll take/accept the offer.) - Ich nehme Ihr Angebot an.
(I accept your offer.)
Register & nuance: Annehmen is neutral to slightly more formal than the casual use of nehmen for 'take'; it's standard in both spoken and written German when describing acceptance.