to reveal / betray
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to reveal
To disclose a secret or confidential information even though one should keep it to oneself.
Wer hat dir verraten, dass ich eine Überraschungsparty für dich plane?
Who revealed to you that I am planning a surprise party for you?
to betray
To abuse the trust of a person, group, or country and act disloyally, often for one's own advantage or for the advantage of a third party.
Er hat seine Prinzipien für Geld verraten.
He betrayed his principles for money.
to betray / reveal
When a sign, gesture, or detail unintentionally reveals something about a person or situation.
Seine zitternden Hände verrieten seine Nervosität.
His trembling hands betrayed his nervousness.
to give oneself away
To unintentionally reveal something through careless words or actions that one actually wanted to hide.
Als er den Namen des Opfers kannte, obwohl dieser nicht veröffentlicht wurde, hat er sich verraten.
When he knew the victim's name, even though it had not been published, he gave himself away.
The verb 'verraten' (to reveal/betray) is inseparable. The prefix 'ver-' remains firmly attached to the verb stem 'raten' in all tenses and sentence constructions.
Er hat mir das Ende des Films verraten.
He revealed the ending of the film to me.
When both a person and a piece of information are mentioned, 'verraten' (to reveal/tell) follows a fixed pattern: the person to whom something is revealed is in the dative, and the information is in the accusative.
Bitte verrate meinem Bruder (Dativ) die Überraschung (Akkusativ) nicht!
Please don't reveal the surprise (accusative) to my brother (dative)!
In this meaning, the subject is often not a person acting intentionally, but a nonverbal signal or a detail. It is about something becoming visible unintentionally.
Sein nervöses Lächeln verriet, dass er nicht die Wahrheit sagte.
His nervous smile revealed that he was not telling the truth.
In the meaning 'preisgeben' (to reveal/disclose), 'verraten' (to reveal) is often combined with information that should be secret. Typical phrases are: 'ein Geheimnis verraten' (to reveal a secret), 'einen Plan verraten' (to reveal a plan), 'den Standort verraten' (to reveal the location), or 'das Passwort verraten' (to reveal the password).
Er hat aus Versehen den geheimen Plan verraten.
He accidentally revealed the secret plan.
to sell
Verkaufen and verraten can both describe a disloyal act carried out for an advantage. In this figurative use, Verkaufen presents giving up ideals or relationships in exchange for personal gain and often sounds colloquial. Verraten refers more generally to abusing trust or acting disloyally; it also fits when there is no explicit advantage.
Er verriet seinen Freund, obwohl er dafür keinen persönlichen Vorteil bekam.
He betrayed his friend even though he gained no personal advantage from it.
Er verkaufte seine Überzeugungen für Geld und eine bessere Stellung.
He sold out his convictions for money and a better position.
