to coordinate / deny
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to coordinate
To consult with one or more people in order to reach a joint agreement or coordinate how to proceed.
Habt ihr euch abgesprochen, was ihr ihm zum Geburtstag schenkt?
Did you coordinate with each other about what you’re giving him for his birthday?
'Absprechen' (to coordinate/deny) is a separable verb. The prefix 'ab-' is separated from the verb in a main clause and placed at the end of the sentence.
Wir sprechen die Details morgen Vormittag ab.
We’ll coordinate the details tomorrow morning.
In the meaning 'to consult with each other', the verb is reflexive. If you name the person you consult with, you use the preposition 'mit' (with) and the dative.
Ich muss mich zuerst mit meinem Team absprechen.
I have to coordinate with my team first.
In this negative meaning, the verb has a fixed structure: you deny 'jemandem' (someone, dative) 'etwas' (something, accusative). The person is in the dative, and the doubted quality is in the accusative.
Man kann ihm sein Talent wirklich nicht absprechen.
You really can’t deny him his talent.
In this meaning, abstract qualities or rights are often 'abgesprochen' (denied), for example: 'die Kompetenz' (competence), 'die Fähigkeit' (ability), 'das Recht' (right), or 'den Mut' (courage).
Niemand kann uns das Recht absprechen, unsere Meinung zu sagen.
No one can deny us the right to express our opinion.
to set / commit
'festlegen' and 'absprechen' can both mean that you decide on a plan or date. However, 'absprechen' emphasizes talking and coordinating with other people. 'festlegen' emphasizes the result more: afterward, something has been decided and is binding. Learners may confuse the words because after coordinating, people often set something. As a guide: first you 'spricht man sich ab' (coordinate with each other), then you may 'legt den genauen Plan fest' (set the exact plan).
Wir haben mit den Freunden abgesprochen, wer den Salat mitbringt.
We coordinated with our friends about who would bring the salad.
Die Gruppe legt morgen im Kurs die Regeln für die Prüfung fest.
Tomorrow in the course, the group will set the rules for the exam.