bewusst
deliberate
Happening intentionally and with full intent.
EXAMPLE
Er hat bewusst die Unwahrheit gesagt, um seine Kollegen zu täuschen.
He deliberately told an untruth in order to deceive his colleagues.
bewusst
conscious / deliberate
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Meanings
sich bewusst sein
to be aware
To have knowledge of a particular circumstance or fact; to be clear about something.
EXAMPLE
Bist du dir der Konsequenzen deines Handelns bewusst?
Are you aware of the consequences of your actions?
bewusst
conscious
To be conscious; awake and able to perceive one's surroundings and think.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Unfall war der Fahrer die ganze Zeit über bewusst und ansprechbar.
After the accident, the driver was conscious and responsive the whole time.
bewusst
conscious
Relating to a particular attitude or lifestyle, often with regard to health, the environment, or quality.
EXAMPLE
Sie ernährt sich sehr bewusst und kauft nur regionale Produkte.
She eats very consciously and only buys regional products.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'bewusst' (conscious / deliberate) is closely related to the noun 'das Bewusstsein' (consciousness) and the verb 'wissen' (to know). All meanings revolve around the idea of knowledge, perception, or full intent.
EXAMPLE
Er traf eine bewusste Entscheidung für seine Zukunft.
He made a conscious decision for his future.
Fixed construction
The expression 'sich bewusst sein' (to be aware) has fixed grammar. The person is in the dative, and the thing one is aware of is in the genitive or follows the preposition 'über' with the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin mir des Problems bewusst.
I am aware of the problem.
Compound formation
In the meaning of 'relating to an attitude,' 'bewusst' (conscious) is often the second part of compound adjectives. These describe a particular outlook on life, e.g. with regard to the environment, health, or price.
EXAMPLE
Viele junge Leute leben heute sehr umweltbewusst.
Many young people today live in a very environmentally conscious way.
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'bewusst' from context: As an adverb (bewusst etwas tun — to do something deliberately), it means 'intentionally.' In a medical context (bewusst sein — to be conscious), it means 'awake.' The fixed expression 'sich einer Sache bewusst sein' means 'to know something' or 'to be aware of something.'
EXAMPLE
Sie hat mich bewusst ignoriert.
She deliberately ignored me.
Compare with
bewusst vs wach
awake / alert
Bewusst and wach can both describe a state after fainting or a period of rest. Bewusst emphasizes that someone is aware of their surroundings and able to think, while wach initially only means not asleep. After someone has fainted, bewusst is appropriate when they are aware of what is happening; after sleep, wach is usually the right word.
bewusst
Nach der Ohnmacht war sie wieder bei Bewusstsein und konnte die Sanitäter wahrnehmen.
After fainting, she was conscious again and could perceive the paramedics.
wach
Nach dem kurzen Schlaf war sie wieder wach und stand langsam auf.
After the short nap, she was awake again and slowly stood up.
In real life
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