to abbreviate, abridge, shorten
abkĂŒrzen, kĂŒrzen, kĂŒrzer machen, verkĂŒrzen
KĂŒrzen refers to quantity and is thus used for abridging a book or essay, e.g. Du musst deinen Aufsatz drastisch kĂŒrzen âYou must shorten your essay drasticallyâ, Das ist die gekĂŒrzte Ausgabe des Wörterbuchs âThat is the abridged edition of the dictionaryâ. KĂŒrzen can often be used interchangeably with kĂŒrzer machen, which is more usual for items of apparel requiring shortening (commonly kĂŒrzer machen lassen âto have shortenedâ).
VerkĂŒrzen refers usually to time but can be applied to distance too, e.g. Die Gewerkschaft strebt verkĂŒrzte Arbeitszeit an âThe union is striving for shorter working hoursâ. KĂŒrzen can be used for time too, but only when there is a disadvantage to those concerned, e.g. Wegen der schlechten Konjunktur wurde die Arbeitswoche bei VW um 10 Stunden gekĂŒrzt âAs a result of the weak economy the working week at VW was reduced by 10 hoursâ.
AbkĂŒrzen means to abbreviate words, e.g. Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland kĂŒrzt man mit BRD ab/wird mit BRD abgekĂŒrzt âThe Federal Republic of Germany is abbreviated to FRGâ. But this verb also refers to shortening a distance (short cutting), e.g. So können wir den Weg abkĂŒrzen âThis way we can shorten the distance/make a short cutâ. And finally abkĂŒrzen is used for shortening or reducing the duration of s.t., in particular when it was intended to last longer, e.g. Wegen der Lawine haben wir unseren Aufenthalt in Tirol abgekĂŒrzt âBecause of the avalanche we shortened our stay in the Tyrolâ.
about
an, etwa, gegen, rund, ĂŒber, ungefĂ€hr
âAboutâ meaning âapproximatelyâ is most usually expressed by either ungefĂ€hr or etwa, which are synonymous and interchangeable, e.g. Er hat sich seit ungefĂ€hr/etwa einer Woche nicht blicken lassen âHe hasn't shown himself for about a weekâ.
UngefĂ€hr can also be used with reference to the hour, e.g. Er kommt normalerweise ungefĂ€hr um vier Uhr nach Hause âHe normally gets home at about four o'clockâ, but in this function gegen is also commonly heard, Er kommt immer gegen vier (Uhr) nach Hause.
But gegen is used in other contexts too with the connotation of âgetting on towards, but no more thanâ, e.g. Gegen drei Millionen Menschen wohnen jetzt in dieser Stadt âAbout three million people now live in this townâ. The following is synonymous with gegen: an die drei Millionen Menschen.
Rund renders literally âround aboutâ, e.g. Rund ein FĂŒnftel aller Haiarten sind bedroht â(Round) about/around a fifth of all shark species are threatenedâ.
âAboutâ meaning âconcerningâ as in âa book/film aboutâ is ĂŒber+acc., e.g. Ich habe gerade ein Buch ĂŒber den Vietnam-Krieg gelesen âI have just read a book about the Vietnam Warâ, WorĂŒber redet ihr?âWhat are you talking about? (see TO SPEAK) Note the following two important idioms that also express âaboutâ in this sense: Dieses Buch handelt vom Ersten Weltkrieg/Es handelt sich in diesem Buch um den Ersten Weltkrieg This book is about the First World Warâ. In the latter idiom, which is much less common than the former, the subject is always an impersonal es, e.g. Worum handelt es sich in diesem Bericht? âWhat is this report about?â (see TO DEAL WITH).
to accept
akzeptieren, annehmen, entgegennehmen, in Kauf nehmen, hinnehmen
The usual word is annehmen which can take both a concrete object like payment or a job and a less tangible object such as help or an invitation, but can also be used without an object, e.g. Ich habe (die Stelle/das Angebot) angenommen âI accepted (the job/offer)â. Akzeptieren is a somewhat elevated synonym of annehmen, e.g. Das Judentum akzeptiert die HomosexualitĂ€t âJudaism accepts homosexualityâ.
In more elevated language where âto acceptâ is synonymous with âto receiveâ entgegennehmen will be encountered, but it is often interchangeable with annehmen, e.g. Er nahm Schmiergelder in Millionenhöhe entgegen âHe accepted (=received) bribes in the millionsâ, Der Wissenschaftler hat den Preis im Namen des kubanischen Volkes entgegengenommen âThe scientist accepted the prize in the name of the Cuban peopleâ.
Where the object of âto acceptâ is s.t. to your detriment or dissatisfaction, and thus you accept the inevitable only with resignation or reluctance, hinnehmen is required, e.g. Die Partei wird diese Niederlage einfach hinnehmen mĂŒssen The party will simply have to accept this defeatâ.
In Kauf nehmen is similar in meaning to hinnehmen but implies somewhat less suffering or inevitability, e.g. Wegen der Protestaktionen haben Fahrer viele Staus auf den Autobahnen in Kauf nehmen mĂŒssen âDrivers had to accept (contend with) many traffic jams on the freeways as a result of the demonstrationsâ.
the accident, crash
der Absturz, der Unfall, das UnglĂŒck, der Zufall
The most general word for an âaccidentâ which is not necessarily fatal, is Unfall, e.g. Ich habe einen Unfall im Auto gehabt âI've had an accident in the carâ. UnglĂŒck, in addition to meaning misfortune, refers to a serious accident or crash, e.g. Im ZugunglĂŒck von Eschede sind viele Leute ums Leben gekommen âMany people died in the Eschede train crashâ.
âTo crashâ with reference to planes is abstĂŒrzen, from which is derived der (Flugzeug) Absturz â(the aeroplane) accident/crashâ.
Where accident is synonymous with coincidence or chance, Zufall is required, e.g. Durch/per Zufall haben wir uns im Supermarkt getroffen âWe met by accident in the supermarketâ.
according to
laut, nach, nach Meinung von, so, zufolge
Zufolge (+dat.), which follows the noun, is possibly the most common way of expressing âaccording toâ when it is not a person involved, e.g. Alten Quellen zufolge kostete ein Sklave 306 Gramm Silber âAccording to ancient sources a slave cost 306 grammes of silverâ.
Interchangeable with zufolge is laut (+dat.), e.g. Laut Berichten sind ĂŒber 100 Menschen im UnglĂŒck umgekommen âAccording to reports over 100 people died in the accidentâ.
When a person follows âaccording toâ and the expression is synonymous with âin my/your/her opinionâ etc., it is best to say just that, e.g. Ihrer Meinung nach ist er schuldig âIn her opinion he is guiltyâ. If the holder of the opinion is a noun, rather than a possessive pronoun as in the previous example, the expression is as follows: Meine Tante ist der Meinung, dass⊠âAccording to my auntâŠâ. (see OPINION)
âAccording toâ in legal parlance (compare in accordance with) is nach, e.g. Nach Artikel 256 âAccording to article 256â (in a law). It is commonly used in combination with Angaben with reference to the opinion of people, e.g. Nach Angaben des Zeugen âAccording to the witnessâ, Die Terrorgruppe hat nach Polizeiangaben bisher 5,5 Millionen Dollar Lösegeld erpresst âAccording to police the terrorist group has so far extorted 5.5 million dollars ransomâ.
In journalese so often follows reported speech where in English we would say either âaccording to xâ or âx saidâ, e.g. Angeblich, so ein Sprecher der UN, hĂ€tten ParamilitĂ€rs einen Anschlag auf die Forscher geplant âApparently, according to a UN spokesman (=a UN spokesman said), paramilitaries had planned an attack on the research workersâ.
to accuse
anklagen, anschuldigen, beschuldigen, vorwerfen
âTo accuseâ s.o. of s.t. criminal where there is a connotation of laying charges, is jdn anklagen wegen, e.g. Sie hat ihn wegen Diebstahls angeklagt âShe has accused him of theftâ (and reported this to the police), Der Staatsanwalt hat ihn wegen Diebstahls angeklagt âThe pubic prosecutor has charged him with theftâ, Sie hat ihn angeklagt, ihren Ring gestohlen zu haben âShe has accused him of having stolen her ringâ (and reported this to the police).
âTo accuseâ s.o. of s.t. or doing s.t. without the connotation of laying charges is beschuldigen, e.g. Er hat mich beschuldigt, ihn beleidigt zu haben âHe has accused me of insulting himâ, Die Frau hat ihn des Mordes beschuldigt The woman has accused him of murderâ. As illustrated, beschuldigen refers to a specific accusation.
Anschuldigen is not common, although the noun Anschuldigung is. The two words do not differ markedly from beschuldigen and Beschuldigung although the former can imply the hurling of general accusations at s.o., e.g. Die Anschuldigungen, die gegen ihn erhoben werden, sind grundlos âThe accusations being directed at him are groundlessâ.
Where âto accuseâ s.o. of s.t. is synonymous with âto reproachâ s.o. with s.t., use jdm etwas vorwerfen, e.g. Er hat ihr vorgeworfen, nicht mithelfen zu wollen âHe accused her of not wanting to lend a handâ (=reproached her with not wanting to lend a hand), Er warf mir Undankbarkeit vor âHe accused me of ingratitudeâ.
to admit, confess
beichten, bekennen, eingestehen, gestehen, zugeben
Gestehen means âto confessâ s.t. to s.o. in the nonreligious sense, e.g. Er hat (mir) seine Teilnahme an der Tat gestanden âHe confessed his participation in the actâ (to me), Ich muss gestehen, dass ich mit der Entscheidung sehr unzufrieden bin âI have to confess I am very unhappy with the decisionâ. Gestehen is also used for âadmitting/confessingâ to a crime, e.g. Er hat den Einbruch gestanden âHe admitted/confessed to the burglaryâ.
Eingestehen too refers to âconfessingâ a crime or fault but more fully than gestehen, e.g. Er gestand seine Niederlage/Schuld ein âHe admitted defeat/He confessed his guiltâ.
Sich bekennen zu renders âto confess/admit toâ a sin or crime. This verb is the only possible expression when a criminal (group) claims responsibility for an incident, e.g. Eine bislang unbekannte Gruppe Terroristen bekannte sich zur Tat âA hitherto unknown group admitted to the actâ.
Zugeben means âto admit/confessâ in the sense of âto own up t...