schenken
to give
To give someone something as a gift without expecting anything in return.
EXAMPLE
Ich schenke meiner Mutter zum Geburtstag immer Blumen.
I always give my mother flowers for her birthday.
schenken
to give / pour
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Meanings
sich etwas schenken
to skip
Colloquial for: to do without something; not to do something because it is unnecessary or too much effort.
EXAMPLE
Den Nachtisch können wir uns heute schenken, wir sind alle satt.
We can skip dessert today; we're all full.
schenken
to pour
To pour a drink, especially wine or beer, into a glass or cup.
EXAMPLE
Der Wirt schenkte uns noch eine Runde Bier ein.
The landlord poured us another round of beer.
schenken
to let slide
To waive or overlook something for someone, for example a penalty or a mistake.
EXAMPLE
Den kleinen Fehler im Test hat der Lehrer mir geschenkt.
The teacher let the small mistake in the test slide for me.
Usage tips
Sentence structure with dative
When you give someone something as a gift, the person receiving the gift is in the dative, and the thing being given is in the accusative. The pattern is: subject (nominative) + 'schenkt' + person (dative) + thing (accusative).
EXAMPLE
Er schenkt seiner Freundin einen Ring.
He gives his girlfriend a ring.
Reflexive expression
In the meaning 'auf etwas verzichten' (to do without something), 'schenken' (to skip) is used reflexively with the dative: 'sich etwas schenken'. It means that you do yourself the favor of not doing something.
EXAMPLE
Die lange Diskussion können wir uns schenken; wir sind uns ja einig.
We can skip the long discussion; we agree anyway.
Register: colloquial
The expression 'sich etwas schenken' in the sense of 'auf etwas verzichten' (to do without something) is colloquial. It is often used in everyday conversations.
EXAMPLE
Den Abwasch schenke ich mir heute und mache ihn morgen früh.
I'm skipping the dishes today and will do them tomorrow morning.
Context: drinks
This meaning is used almost exclusively for pouring drinks, especially alcoholic ones like wine or beer, into a drinking vessel.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir bitte noch etwas Wasser schenken?
Can you please pour me some more water?
Compare with
schenken vs geben
to give
Geben can also describe handing something over as a gift, but it does not always explicitly state that it is intended as a gift. Schenken clearly shows that the other person is meant to keep something without any expected compensation. When this intention is important, schenken is more precise.
schenken
Zum Geburtstag schenke ich meiner Schwester ein Buch.
I’m giving my sister a book for her birthday.
geben
Zum Geburtstag gebe ich meiner Schwester ein Buch.
I’m giving my sister a book for her birthday.
In real life
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