01
begraben
to bury
To place the body of a person or animal in the ground; to inter.
example
Er wurde im engsten Familienkreis begraben.
He was buried in the closest family circle.
begraben
to bury
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Inseparable verb
The verb 'begraben' (to bury) has the inseparable prefix 'be-'. It stays firmly attached to the stem 'graben' (to dig) in all sentence forms. The prefix 'be-' makes the verb transitive, so it always needs an accusative object.
EXAMPLE
Sie begrub den toten Vogel im Garten.
She buried the dead bird in the garden.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning of 'begraben' (to bury) from the object: if it is a person or animal, it refers to a burial. With an object, it is about covering something. With an abstract noun ('Hoffnung' (hope), 'Plan' (plan)), it has the figurative meaning.
EXAMPLE
Der Hund hat seinen Knochen im Garten begraben.
The dog buried its bone in the garden.
Use with 'unter'
In the meaning 'bedecken' (to cover), the preposition 'unter' (+ dative) is often used to indicate what something was covered with. The person or thing being covered is the accusative object of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Die Rettungskräfte suchten nach den unter dem Schnee begrabenen Skifahrern.
The rescue workers searched for the skiers buried under the snow.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, 'begraben' (to bury) is often used with abstract nouns. Typical phrases are 'die Hoffnung begraben' (to bury a hope), 'einen Streit begraben' (to bury a dispute), or 'einen Traum begraben' (to bury a dream).
EXAMPLE
Lass uns den alten Streit endlich begraben und wieder Freunde sein.
Let's finally bury the old dispute and be friends again.
Compare with
begraben vs aufgeben
to give up / submit
'aufgeben' and 'begraben' can both mean that you stop pursuing a plan, hope, or feeling. 'aufgeben' is more general and more neutral. You can give up a plan because it is too expensive, too difficult, or no longer makes sense. 'begraben' sounds more figurative and more final. It fits especially when you internally close the book on something: 'eine Hoffnung begraben' (to bury a hope), 'einen Streit begraben' (to bury a dispute). In everyday language, 'aufgeben' is often more natural; 'begraben' emphasizes more strongly: the matter is over.
begraben
Nach dem langen Gespräch begraben die beiden Freunde ihren alten Streit.
After the long conversation, the two friends bury their old dispute.
aufgeben
Wegen der hohen Kosten gibt die Familie den Plan für den Umbau auf.
Because of the high costs, the family is giving up the plan for the renovation.
In real life
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