das Verhalten
behavior
The way in which a person or animal acts and responds to others or to a situation.
EXAMPLE
Das Verhalten der Kinder im Unterricht hat sich deutlich verbessert.
The children's behavior in class has improved significantly.
das Verhalten
behavior
das Verhalten, die Verhalten
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Meanings
das Verhalten
behavior
The way in which something functions, responds, or changes under certain conditions.
EXAMPLE
Das Verhalten des Materials bei großer Hitze wurde im Labor untersucht.
The behavior of the material under intense heat was studied in the laboratory.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Verhalten, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Verhalten |
| genitive | des Verhaltens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Verhalten | die Verhalten |
| accusative | das Verhalten | die Verhalten |
| dative | dem Verhalten | den Verhalten |
| genitive | des Verhaltens | der Verhalten |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Das Verhalten' (behavior) is the nominalized verb 'sich verhalten' (to behave). This means the noun can often be used with actions and reactions of people or things.
EXAMPLE
Sein Verhalten überraschte die Kollegen.
His behavior surprised his colleagues.
Das Verhalten des Geräts lässt sich nur schwer erklären.
The behavior of the device is difficult to explain.
Dative with gegenüber
When referring to a person's behavior toward others, 'gegenüber' (toward) is often used with the dative. Typical collocations are 'höfliches Verhalten gegenüber jemandem' (polite behavior toward someone) and 'respektloses Verhalten gegenüber jemandem' (disrespectful behavior toward someone).
EXAMPLE
Ihr Verhalten gegenüber den neuen Mitarbeitern war sehr freundlich.
Her behavior toward the new employees was very friendly.
Stating conditions
When referring to things or materials, 'Verhalten' (behavior) is often connected with a condition under which something functions or changes. For this purpose, phrases with 'bei' (under/in) and a situation or stress factor are particularly common.
EXAMPLE
Ingenieure prüfen das Verhalten der Brücke bei starkem Wind.
Engineers test the behavior of the bridge in strong winds.
In real life
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