01
der Befund
medical finding
The result of a medical examination, for example a blood sample, a CT scan, or a biopsy.
example
Der Arzt wird den Befund morgen mit uns besprechen.
The doctor will discuss the findings with us tomorrow.
der Befund
finding / result
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Befund' (finding/result) is closely related to the verb 'befinden'. 'Etwas für gut befinden' means to arrive at a judgment after examining something. The 'Befund' is the result of this examination or investigation.
EXAMPLE
Nach langer Überlegung war sein Befund über den Film sehr positiv.
After long consideration, his assessment of the film was very positive.
Register and style
'Befund' is a formal word used mainly in specialist language. You find it especially in medicine, science, or police investigations.
EXAMPLE
Der wissenschaftliche Befund bestätigt die bisherigen Theorien.
The scientific finding confirms the previous theories.
Typical collocations
In a medical context, 'Befund' (finding/result) is often combined with certain adjectives and verbs: 'einen Befund erhalten' (to receive a result), 'den Befund abwarten' (to wait for the result), 'ein positiver/negativer Befund' (a positive/negative result), 'ein unklarer Befund' (an unclear finding), 'ein unauffälliger Befund' (an unremarkable finding).
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen den Befund der Blutuntersuchung abwarten.
We have to wait for the results of the blood test.
Context clue
When 'Befund' is used outside a medical context, clarifying adjectives are often included. Pay attention to words like 'archäologisch' (archaeological), 'historisch' (historical), 'kriminaltechnisch' (forensic), or 'wissenschaftlich' (scientific).
EXAMPLE
Der archäologische Befund deutet auf eine frühe Besiedlung hin.
The archaeological finding points to early settlement.
Compare with
Befund vs Ergebnis
result
'das Ergebnis' and 'der Befund' can both appear after an examination or investigation. 'das Ergebnis' is general and fits many areas, for example a test, a calculation, or a survey. 'der Befund' is used mainly when specialists have examined something systematically, especially in medicine, but also in police work or science. Learners may confuse the words because a 'Befund' is a kind of result. Even so, with a blood test people often say 'Befund', while for a math problem or a survey they are more likely to say 'Ergebnis'.
Befund
Wegen des unklaren Befunds soll Maria morgen noch einmal zur Ärztin kommen.
Because of the unclear findings, Maria is supposed to go back to the doctor tomorrow.
Ergebnis
Im Bus hat Omar das Ergebnis des Spiels auf dem Handy gesehen.
On the bus, Omar saw the score of the game on his phone.
In real life
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