to deny
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to deny
To claim that a statement or accusation is not true. It is an active denial of a fact or an accusation.
Der Angeklagte stritt ab, zur Tatzeit am Tatort gewesen zu sein.
The defendant denied having been at the crime scene at the time of the offense.
to deny someone something
To deny or call into question someone's right, ability, or claim.
Niemand kann ihr das Recht abstreiten, ihre eigene Meinung zu haben.
No one can deny her the right to have her own opinion.
'Abstreiten' (to deny) is a separable verb. The prefix 'ab-' is placed at the end of the sentence in a main clause. The verb is irregular ('stritt ab', 'hat abgestritten').
Er streitet den Vorwurf vehement ab.
He vehemently denies the accusation.
The two meanings have different sentence patterns. 'Etwas (Akkusativ) abstreiten' (to deny something, accusative) means to deny a fact. 'Jemandem (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) abstreiten' (to deny someone something) means not to grant someone a right or ability.
Sie streitet ab, das Geld genommen zu haben.
She denies having taken the money.
In the meaning 'leugnen' (to deny), 'abstreiten' (to deny) is very often combined with a 'dass' clause or an infinitive construction with 'zu'.
Der Politiker stritt ab, dass er von dem Skandal wusste.
The politician denied that he knew about the scandal.
Common combinations are: 'die Vorwürfe abstreiten' (to deny the accusations), 'die Tat abstreiten' (to deny the act/crime), 'jegliche Verantwortung abstreiten' (to deny any responsibility), or 'seine Beteiligung abstreiten' (to deny one's involvement).
Der Verdächtige streitet jede Beteiligung an dem Verbrechen ab.
The suspect denies any involvement in the crime.
to deny / cover / contest
Both words reject a statement or an accusation. “Bestreiten” often sounds somewhat more formal and argumentative, whereas “abstreiten” sounds more like a personal denial. In many situations, both are possible; choose “bestreiten” more often in reports and “abstreiten” more often for a direct reaction.
Der Angeklagte streitet den Vorwurf der Täuschung entschieden ab.
The defendant emphatically denies the accusation of deception.
Der Sprecher bestreitet in der Pressekonferenz den Vorwurf der Täuschung.
The spokesperson denies the accusation of deception at the press conference.
