bedecken
to cover
To place or spread something over a surface so that it is no longer visible or only partly visible.
EXAMPLE
Im Winter bedeckt eine dicke Schneeschicht die Landschaft.
In winter, a thick layer of snow covers the landscape.
bedecken
to cover
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Meanings
sich bedecken
to cloud over
Used for the sky when it becomes covered with clouds and is no longer blue.
EXAMPLE
Der Himmel bedeckte sich schnell mit dunklen Wolken und es begann zu regnen.
The sky quickly clouded over with dark clouds, and it began to rain.
bedecken
to cover
To deal with or include a topic or area in terms of content, for example in a report or presentation.
EXAMPLE
Der Artikel bedeckt alle wichtigen Aspekte der aktuellen politischen Lage.
The article covers all important aspects of the current political situation.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Bedecken' (to cover) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'be-' remains firmly attached to the stem 'decken' in all sentence forms. It makes the action directed toward an object.
EXAMPLE
Sie bedeckte das schlafende Kind mit einer warmen Decke.
She covered the sleeping child with a warm blanket.
Sentence structure with 'mit'
When you want to state what something is covered with, you use the preposition 'mit' followed by the dative. The pattern is: subject covers accusative object with dative object.
EXAMPLE
Er bedeckte den Kuchen mit Schokoladenglasur.
He covered the cake with chocolate icing.
Reflexive use
The reflexive form 'sich bedecken' (to cloud over/become covered) is used almost exclusively for the sky when it becomes covered with clouds. The subject is always 'der Himmel' (the sky).
EXAMPLE
Plötzlich bedeckte sich der Himmel und ein Gewitter zog auf.
Suddenly the sky clouded over, and a thunderstorm was approaching.
Register and style
In the meaning 'to deal with a topic', 'bedecken' (to cover) is rather formal and is mainly used in written language, for example in reports, analyses, or academic texts.
EXAMPLE
Die Studie bedeckt ein breites Spektrum an sozialen Fragen.
The study covers a broad spectrum of social issues.
Compare with
bedecken vs belegen
to book / prove / top
Belegen and bedecken can both mean that something partially or completely conceals a surface. Belegen is the specific culinary term used when bread or a bread roll is topped with food; bedecken describes covering something more generally. For bread topped with cheese, belegen is usually the better choice; for other surfaces, bedecken is used.
bedecken
Der Käse bedeckt das Brot fast vollständig.
The cheese covers almost the entire bread.
belegen
Ich belege das Brot mit Käse und Tomaten.
I am topping the bread with cheese and tomatoes.
In real life
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