verneinen
to deny
To answer a question with “no” or reject a statement as untrue.
EXAMPLE
Auf die Frage, ob er das Geld genommen habe, verneinte er entschieden.
When asked whether he had taken the money, he firmly denied it.
verneinen
to deny
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Meanings
verneinen
to deny
To fundamentally dispute or deny the existence, validity, or value of something.
EXAMPLE
Der Philosoph verneint die Möglichkeit, absolute Wahrheit zu erkennen.
The philosopher denies the possibility of recognizing absolute truth.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is structured very logically: it consists of the prefix “ver-” and the word “nein” (no). “Verneinen” (to deny) therefore literally means to mark something with “no” or to reject it.
EXAMPLE
Er verneinte den Vorwurf, unehrlich gewesen zu sein.
He denied the accusation of having been dishonest.
Inseparable verb
The prefix “ver-” is inseparable. It remains firmly attached to the verb stem in all tenses and sentence constructions.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat meine Frage einfach verneint und das Thema gewechselt.
She simply denied my question and changed the subject.
Sentence structure and usage patterns
“Verneinen” (to deny) can either take a noun in the accusative as a direct object or be used with a “dass” clause to reject an entire statement.
EXAMPLE
Der Angeklagte verneinte die Tat.
The defendant denied the act.
Register and style
“Verneinen” (to deny) belongs more to written language or a formal style. In normal conversation, most people would simply say “nein sagen” (to say no) or “etwas abstreiten” (to deny something).
EXAMPLE
Auf die offizielle Anfrage, ob die Steuern erhöht werden, verneinte der Minister.
In response to the official inquiry about whether taxes would be raised, the minister said no.
Compare with
verneinen vs widersprechen
to contradict
Widersprechen means not agreeing with a person or position and taking an opposing stance. Verneinen is directed directly at a question or statement and answers or evaluates it negatively. Widersprechen is appropriate for a disagreement between opinions; verneinen is appropriate for a clear no.
verneinen
Nora verneint die Frage, ob sie den Vorfall selbst gesehen hat.
Nora answers no to the question of whether she saw the incident herself.
widersprechen
Nora widerspricht dem Zeugen, weil sie den Vorfall anders erlebt hat.
Nora contradicts the witness because she experienced the incident differently.
In real life
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