to give in / to yield
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to give in
To give up one's resistance and agree to another person's wishes or pressure.
Nach einer langen Diskussion hat sie schließlich nachgegeben und dem Plan zugestimmt.
After a long discussion, she finally gave in and agreed to the plan.
'Nachgeben' (to give in/to yield) is a separable verb. The prefix 'nach-' goes to the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Der klügere gibt nach.
The wiser person gives in.
The verb consists of the prefix 'nach-' and the base verb 'geben' (to give). Here, the prefix reinforces the idea of following another person's will or yielding to pressure.
Eltern sollten nicht bei jeder Kleinigkeit sofort nachgeben.
Parents should not give in immediately over every little thing.
When you give in to a person or a thing, that person or thing is in the dative. You ask: 'Wem oder was gebe ich nach?' (To whom or what am I giving in?)
Er hat dem Druck der Öffentlichkeit nachgegeben.
He gave in to public pressure.
This meaning is almost always used for physical materials or structures. The subject is often something inanimate, such as the ground, the ice, a board, or a dam.
Das alte Regalbrett gab unter dem Gewicht der Bücher nach.
The old shelf board yielded under the weight of the books.
This meaning occurs only in the fixed expression 'jemandem/etwas in nichts nachgeben' (to be in no way inferior to someone/something). It expresses that two things are equal in quality.
In Sachen Eleganz gibt sie ihrer Schwester in nichts nach.
In matters of elegance, she is in no way inferior to her sister.
small
'klein beigeben' and 'nachgeben' both describe someone no longer resisting in an argument or under pressure. 'nachgeben' is the normal verb for this and fits many everyday situations. 'klein beigeben' is a fixed expression with 'klein' and sounds stronger: you give up even though you were against something before. Learners may confuse the words because the meaning is similar. The important point is: 'klein' alone does not mean 'small' here; it is part of the expression 'klein beigeben' (to give in).
Julia gibt nach, weil der Streit mit dem Nachbarn sonst nicht endet.
Julia gives in because otherwise the argument with the neighbor will not end.
Nach der langen Diskussion hat sie schließlich klein beigegeben.
After the long discussion, she finally gave in.