bejahen
German edit
Etymology edit
16th century, equivalent to be- + ja (“yes”) + -en (with -h- as orthographic hiatus breaker). While the verb may have been derived directly from the interjection ja, an alternative possibility is that it is a reinterpretation of Middle High German bejëhen (“to acknowledge, admit”), from jëhen (“to say”). The according spelling bejähen is indeed attested in the 17th century.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
bejahen (weak, third-person singular present bejaht, past tense bejahte, past participle bejaht, auxiliary haben)
- to affirm, approve, answer something in the affirmative
- Antonym: verneinen
Conjugation edit
| infinitive | bejahen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| present participle | bejahend | ||||
| past participle | bejaht | ||||
| auxiliary | haben | ||||
| indicative | subjunctive | ||||
| singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
| present | ich bejahe | wir bejahen | i | ich bejahe | wir bejahen |
| du bejahst | ihr bejaht | du bejahest | ihr bejahet | ||
| er bejaht | sie bejahen | er bejahe | sie bejahen | ||
| preterite | ich bejahte | wir bejahten | ii | ich bejahte1 | wir bejahten1 |
| du bejahtest | ihr bejahtet | du bejahtest1 | ihr bejahtet1 | ||
| er bejahte | sie bejahten | er bejahte1 | sie bejahten1 | ||
| imperative | bejah (du) bejahe (du) |
bejaht (ihr) | |||
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.