01
geboten
required
Necessary, appropriate, or advisable in a particular situation.
example
Angesichts des schlechten Wetters ist besondere Vorsicht geboten.
In view of the bad weather, special caution is required.
geboten
required / offered
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Origin of the word
'Geboten' is the past participle of the verb 'bieten' (to offer) or of the less common verb 'gebieten' (to command, require). The different meanings are derived from these two origins.
EXAMPLE
Er hat mir seine Hilfe geboten.
He offered me his help.
Context clue: sentence structure
The meaning depends on the word's position in the sentence. If 'geboten' comes at the end of the sentence after 'ist' (is) or 'scheint' (seems), e.g., 'Vorsicht ist geboten' (caution is required), it means 'required.' If it comes before a noun, e.g., 'die gebotene Chance' (the offered opportunity), it means 'offered.'
EXAMPLE
In dieser Situation ist Geduld geboten. (erforderlich)
In this situation, patience is required. (required)
Fixed structure
The meaning 'required' or 'advisable' almost always appears in the fixed structure '[noun] ist geboten' ([noun] is required). The noun is in the nominative case.
EXAMPLE
Bei Glatteis ist höchste Vorsicht geboten.
In icy conditions, the utmost caution is required.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'offered,' 'geboten' is often combined with nouns that describe an opportunity or advantage. Typical examples are 'die gebotene Chance' (the offered chance), 'die gebotene Gelegenheit' (the offered opportunity), or 'die gebotene Hilfe' (the offered help).
EXAMPLE
Er nahm die gebotene Hilfe dankend an.
He gratefully accepted the offered help.
Compare with
geboten vs nötig
necessary
'nötig' and 'geboten' can both express that something is needed or right in a situation. 'nötig' is the normal everyday word when something is required in order to achieve a goal. 'geboten' sounds more formal and emphasizes more strongly that something is appropriate or advisable, often because of a rule, danger, or special situation. In everyday language, people usually say 'nötig'. 'geboten' fits better in official, serious, or elevated contexts.
geboten
Im Zug ist Ruhe geboten, weil viele Fahrgäste schlafen möchten.
Quiet is required on the train because many passengers want to sleep.
nötig
Für den Termin ist kein neuer Antrag nötig.
No new application is necessary for the appointment.
In real life
Loading video examples...