angeben
to state
To name, provide, or enter information, data, or facts in a form.
EXAMPLE
Bitte geben Sie auf dem Formular Ihre vollständige Adresse an.
Please state your full address on the form.
angeben
to state / boast / report
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Meanings
angeben
to boast
Colloquial for bragging or showing off about what one owns or can do in order to impress others.
EXAMPLE
Er gibt ständig mit seinem neuen Sportwagen an.
He is constantly boasting about his new sports car.
angeben
to set
To set the pace, rhythm, or direction.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän gibt die Richtung an, in die das Schiff fahren soll.
The captain sets the direction in which the ship should sail.
angeben
to report
To inform on or report someone to a person in authority, such as the police or a teacher.
EXAMPLE
Er wurde von einem Nachbarn bei der Polizei angegeben, weil er zu laute Musik spielte.
He was reported to the police by a neighbor because he was playing music too loudly.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Angeben' is a separable verb. In a main clause, the prefix 'an' comes at the end. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
EXAMPLE
Er gibt seine persönlichen Daten nicht gerne an.
He does not like to state his personal data.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the sentence structure: If there is an object like 'Adresse' (address) or 'Name' (name), it means 'mitteilen' (to provide/state). The preposition 'mit' points to 'prahlen' (to boast). A person object and 'bei' point to 'verraten' (to inform on/report).
EXAMPLE
Geben Sie bitte Ihre Telefonnummer an.
Please state your telephone number.
Sentence structure when boasting
In the colloquial meaning 'prahlen' (to boast), 'angeben' is often used with the preposition 'mit' + dative to say what someone is boasting about.
EXAMPLE
Er muss nicht ständig mit seinem Erfolg angeben.
He does not need to constantly boast about his success.
Fixed expressions
In the meaning 'vorgeben' (to set/dictate), 'angeben' is often used in fixed expressions such as 'den Ton angeben' (to set the tone) or 'die Richtung angeben' (to indicate/set the direction).
EXAMPLE
In der Gruppe versucht immer eine Person, den Ton anzugeben.
In the group, one person is always trying to set the tone.
Compare with
meldenproduzierenanzeigeneintragenausweisenvorgebenbrüstendeklarierenaufzähleneinbildenaufspielenposierenaufschneidenprahlen
angeben vs melden
to report / get in touch
Melden and angeben can both mean giving an authority information about an incident or a person. Melden sounds neutral and focuses on the facts, while angeben here usually emphasizes informing on or denouncing someone. Choose melden for factual information and angeben when making this accusation.
angeben
Der Nachbar gab den Jugendlichen wegen des Diebstahls bei der Polizei an.
The neighbor reported the teenagers to the police over the theft.
melden
Ich meldete der Polizei den Diebstahl im Fahrradkeller.
I reported the theft in the bicycle storage room to the police.
In real life
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