to hint at / to indicate
Loading your saved state.
to hint at
To not say something directly, but to make it understood only indirectly or through a gesture.
Er hat nur angedeutet, dass er mit der Entscheidung nicht einverstanden ist.
He only hinted that he did not agree with the decision.
'Andeuten' is a separable verb with the prefix 'an-'. In a main clause, the prefix goes at the end of the sentence.
Sie deutete nur vage an, was passiert war.
She only vaguely hinted at what had happened.
What someone hints at is very often expressed in a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that) or an indirect question.
Der Chef deutete an, dass es bald Veränderungen geben wird.
The boss hinted that there would soon be changes.
In the meaning 'erkennbar werden' (to become apparent), the verb is always used reflexively: 'sich andeuten'. The subject is often impersonal ('es') or an abstract thing (a solution, a problem).
Es deutet sich eine Wetterbesserung an.
An improvement in the weather is becoming apparent.
to mean
'bedeuten' and 'andeuten' can both have to do with someone not saying something in many words. Here, 'bedeuten' means that someone makes something clearly understood through a sign or gesture. 'andeuten' is more indirect: you say or show only a little of what is meant and leave the rest open. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with hidden or nonverbal information. As a simple guide: 'bedeuten' is more likely to be clear, while 'andeuten' is more likely to be cautious or only partial.
Im Gespräch hat sie nur angedeutet, dass sie bald kündigen möchte.
In the conversation, she only hinted that she would like to quit soon.
Der Lehrer bedeutete mir mit der Hand, dass ich leise sein soll.
The teacher signaled to me with his hand that I should be quiet.