bekannt
well-known
Known by many people; famous or widely familiar.
EXAMPLE
Diese Schauspielerin ist auf der ganzen Welt bekannt.
This actress is well-known all over the world.
bekannt
known
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Meanings
bekannt
familiar
Familiar to someone because they have seen, heard, or experienced it before.
EXAMPLE
Diese Melodie kommt mir bekannt vor.
This melody sounds familiar to me.
bekannt für
known for
Famous or recognized because of a particular quality, ability, or product.
EXAMPLE
Die Schweiz ist bekannt für ihre Schokolade und ihre Uhren.
Switzerland is known for its chocolate and its watches.
bekannt machen
to announce
To make information public or officially announce it.
EXAMPLE
Die Ergebnisse des Wettbewerbs werden morgen bekannt gemacht.
The results of the competition will be announced tomorrow.
jemanden mit jemandem bekannt machen
to introduce
To introduce two or more people to each other.
EXAMPLE
Darf ich Sie mit meiner Kollegin Frau Schmidt bekannt machen?
May I introduce you to my colleague Ms. Schmidt?
Usage tips
Word family
'Bekannt' (known) is the past participle of the verb 'kennen' (to know). This connection helps you understand the meaning: what is 'bekannt' (known) is something that you, or the public, already 'kennt' (knows).
EXAMPLE
Er ist ein international bekannter Künstler.
He is an internationally known artist.
Sentence structure with 'vorkommen'
To express that something seems familiar, the structure 'etwas kommt mir bekannt vor' (something seems familiar to me) is often used. The person is in the dative ('mir' (to me), 'dir' (to you), 'ihm' (to him)).
EXAMPLE
Dein Gesicht kommt mir irgendwie bekannt vor.
Your face seems somehow familiar to me.
Fixed preposition
When you want to say what someone or something is known for, you always use the preposition 'für' (for) followed by the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Diese Region ist für ihren guten Wein bekannt.
This region is known for its good wine.
Typical collocations
The expression 'bekannt machen' (to announce/make known) is often used for official announcements. Typical objects are 'die Ergebnisse' (the results), 'den Termin' (the date/appointment), or 'die Gewinner' (the winners).
EXAMPLE
Das Unternehmen wird seine Quartalszahlen nächste Woche bekannt machen.
The company will announce its quarterly figures next week.
Sentence structure when introducing people
When formally introducing people, 'bekannt machen' (to introduce) follows a fixed pattern: 'jemanden (Akkusativ) mit jemandem (Dativ) bekannt machen' (to introduce someone (accusative) to someone (dative)).
EXAMPLE
Er machte mich mit seinem Chef bekannt.
He introduced me to his boss.
Compare with
bekannt vs vertraut
familiar
A place is bekannt (known) as soon as you have seen or experienced it before. It usually feels vertraut (familiar) only after you have become more accustomed to it, so that you feel safe and comfortable there. Vertraut therefore expresses more personal closeness here than bekannt.
bekannt
Der Bahnhof kommt mir bekannt vor, weil ich schon einmal hier war.
The train station seems familiar to me because I have been here once before.
vertraut
Der Bahnhof ist mir vertraut, weil ich seit Jahren täglich hier umsteige.
The train station feels familiar to me because I have been changing trains here every day for years.
In real life
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