befolgen
to follow
To comply with an instruction, order, rule, or piece of advice and act accordingly.
EXAMPLE
Wer die Verkehrsregeln nicht befolgt, riskiert eine Strafe.
Anyone who does not follow the traffic rules risks a fine.
befolgen
to follow
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Meanings
Usage tips
Accusative instead of dative
The base verb 'folgen' (to follow) takes the dative (e.g., 'Ich folge dem Rat' — I follow the advice). The prefix 'be-' changes this: 'befolgen' always needs an accusative object (e.g., 'Ich befolge den Rat' — I follow the advice). This is an important rule for verbs with 'be-'.
EXAMPLE
Bitte befolgen Sie die Anweisungen genau.
Please follow the instructions exactly.
Typical collocations
'Befolgen' is typically combined with things that have authority or represent an obligation. Common combinations are: 'eine Regel befolgen' (to follow a rule), 'ein Gesetz befolgen' (to obey a law), 'einen Befehl befolgen' (to obey an order), or 'einen Ratschlag befolgen' (to follow advice).
EXAMPLE
Es ist klug, den Rat eines Experten zu befolgen.
It is wise to follow an expert's advice.
Register
The verb 'befolgen' is more formal than 'sich an etwas halten' (to stick to something / follow something). It emphasizes obligation and is often used in official, legal, or instructional contexts.
EXAMPLE
Alle Mitarbeiter müssen die neuen Unternehmensrichtlinien befolgen.
All employees must follow the new company guidelines.
Compare with
befolgen vs folgen
to follow
Here, folgen and befolgen mean almost the same thing: you base your actions on an instruction or rule. The crucial difference is the grammatical construction: you folgen einer Anweisung in the dative, but you befolgen eine Anweisung in the accusative.
befolgen
Wir befolgen die Anweisung des Trainers genau.
We follow the coach's instructions precisely.
folgen
Wir folgen der Anweisung des Trainers genau.
We follow the coach's instructions precisely.
In real life
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