To add something to a letter, an email, or a shipment; to enclose or attach something.
example
Bitte fügen Sie Ihrer Bewerbung einen Lebenslauf und Ihre Zeugnisse bei.
Please attach a résumé and your certificates to your application.
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Beifügen' (to attach/enclose) is a separable verb. The prefix 'bei-' comes at the end in a main clause, the verb stays together in a subordinate clause, and in the infinitive, 'zu' comes between 'bei' and 'fügen'.
EXAMPLE
Ich füge der E-Mail die Fotos bei.
I am attaching the photos to the email.
Sentence structure with dative
The thing to which something is added is in the dative. The thing that is added is in the accusative. So the pattern is: jemandem (dative) etwas (accusative) beifügen.
EXAMPLE
Könnten Sie dem Paket bitte eine persönliche Notiz beifügen?
Could you please enclose a personal note with the package?
Register and style
The verb 'beifügen' (to attach/enclose) is mainly used in formal written language, for example in business letters, emails, or applications.
EXAMPLE
Dem Vertrag sind die allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen beigefügt.
The general terms and conditions are attached to the contract.
Typical collocations
Documents or digital files are often attached. Typical objects are: an attachment, a file, a photo, a résumé, or documents.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe meiner Nachricht eine PDF-Datei beigefügt.
I attached a PDF file to my message.
Compare with
antonym
beifügen vs entfernen
to remove
'entfernen' and 'beifügen' are opposites here. 'entfernen' means that you take something away or remove it. 'beifügen' means that you add something to a letter, an email, or a shipment. So the difference is the direction: with 'entfernen', something is taken away; with 'beifügen', something is added. 'beifügen' sounds especially natural with applications, forms, and emails.
beifügen
Ich füge der Bewerbung meinen Lebenslauf und das Zeugnis bei.
I am attaching my résumé and certificate to the application.
entfernen
Im Büro hat die Mitarbeiterin den falschen Anhang aus der E-Mail entfernt.
At the office, the employee removed the wrong attachment from the email.