01
begegnen
to meet
To meet someone by chance. This verb is used with the dative.
example
Gestern bin ich in der Stadt meiner alten Schulfreundin begegnet.
Yesterday I met my old school friend in town.
begegnen
to encounter / meet
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Always with dative
The verb 'begegnen' (to encounter/meet) always requires the dative. You encounter 'jemandem' (someone, dative) and not 'jemanden' (someone, accusative). This is an important rule and a common source of mistakes.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Weg zur Arbeit bin ich meinem Chef begegnet.
On the way to work, I ran into my boss.
Perfect tense with 'sein'
The perfect tense of 'begegnen' is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), not with 'haben' (to have). So the correct form is 'ich bin begegnet' (I have encountered/met).
EXAMPLE
Bist du ihm danach noch einmal begegnet?
Did you meet him again after that?
Inseparable verb
'Begegnen' is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'be-' remains firmly attached to the verb stem in all conjugated forms and sentence positions. The past participle is 'begegnet' (without 'ge-').
EXAMPLE
Ich hoffe, dass ich ihr morgen auf der Konferenz begegne.
I hope that I meet her tomorrow at the conference.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, 'begegnen' is often used with abstract nouns in the dative, for example 'einer Gefahr begegnen' (to confront a danger), 'einem Problem begegnen' (to address a problem), or 'einer Herausforderung begegnen' (to face a challenge).
EXAMPLE
Das Unternehmen muss den neuen Herausforderungen des Marktes begegnen.
The company must address the new challenges of the market.
Use with an adverb
To express the manner of treatment, 'begegnen' is often combined with an adverb (e.g., 'freundlich' (kindly), 'offen' (openly)) or a prepositional phrase (e.g., 'mit Respekt' (with respect)).
EXAMPLE
Sie begegnet neuen Ideen immer sehr offen.
She always approaches new ideas very openly.
Compare with
begegnen vs treffen
to meet / to hit
'treffen' and 'begegnen' can both mean that two people come together in one place. The most important difference is: 'treffen' can be planned or by chance. It is often used for appointments or arrangements to meet. 'begegnen' usually means that you see or meet someone by chance. Also, 'begegnen' takes the dative: Man begegnet jemandem. Learners can easily confuse the words because both describe an encounter. If there is an arrangement to meet, 'treffen' sounds more natural. If it happens by chance, 'begegnen' is often a better fit.
begegnen
Auf dem Weg zur Schule begegnet Anna ihrer alten Lehrerin.
On the way to school, Anna runs into her old teacher.
treffen
Nach der Arbeit treffe ich meinen Bruder vor dem Kino.
After work, I'm meeting my brother in front of the cinema.
In real life
Loading video examples...