betonen
to emphasize
To highlight and underline the importance or significance of something through words or actions.
EXAMPLE
Der Firmenchef betonte die Notwendigkeit, Kosten zu sparen.
The company director emphasized the need to save costs.
betonen
to emphasize / stress
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Meanings
betonen
to stress
To highlight a syllable or word when speaking by making it louder or higher with the voice.
EXAMPLE
Im Deutschen betont man meistens die erste Silbe eines Wortes.
In German, you usually stress the first syllable of a word.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Betonen' (to emphasize / stress) is an inseparable verb with the prefix 'be-'. The prefix is never separated from the verb stem, and the past participle is formed without 'ge-': 'betont'.
EXAMPLE
Er hat seine Worte sehr stark betont.
He stressed his words very strongly.
Context clue: object
The object of the verb indicates the meaning. If you stress a 'Silbe' (syllable) or a 'Wort' (word), it is about pronunciation. If you emphasize a 'Notwendigkeit' (necessity) or an 'Aspekt' (aspect), it is about importance.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir zeigen, wie man dieses Wort richtig betont?
Can you show me how to stress this word correctly?
Sentence structure with subordinate clause
To highlight what is important, 'betonen' (to emphasize) is very often followed by a subordinate clause with 'dass' or an infinitive construction with 'zu'.
EXAMPLE
Die Lehrerin betonte, dass wir die Vokabeln lernen müssen.
The teacher emphasized that we have to learn the vocabulary.
Compare with
betonen vs herausstellen
to turn out / emphasize / put outside
Betonen and herausstellen both make something particularly important or visible. Betonen gives a point explicit weight, for example through a clear statement. Herausstellen brings a feature more strongly to the foreground, often as a particular advantage over other features.
betonen
Lea betont in ihrer Präsentation, dass das Gerät sehr leicht ist.
In her presentation, Lea emphasizes that the device is very light.
herausstellen
Lea stellt in ihrer Präsentation das geringe Gewicht als besonderen Vorteil heraus.
In her presentation, Lea highlights the device’s low weight as a particular advantage.
In real life
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