Meaning 1neutral · 82%
To say openly that one did something or that something is true.
Natural examples
Der Fahrer bekannte seinen Fehler.
The driver admitted his mistake.
Sie bekannte offen, dass sie den Brief gelesen hatte.
She openly admitted she had read the letter.
Die Politikerin bekannte, dass sie den Termin verschoben hatte.
The politician admitted that she had postponed the appointment.
Usage note
In this sense, bekennen takes an accusative object or a dass-clause. The separate reflexive sich zu etwas bekennen usually means openly standing by something.
Mini-lesson: bekennen
To say openly that one did something or that something is true. In this sense, bekennen takes an accusative object or a dass-clause. The separate reflexive sich zu etwas bekennen usually means openly standing by something.
Check your learning
Choose one answer.Which definition matches «bekennen»?