erklären

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German

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Etymology

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From Middle High German erklæren. By surface analysis, er- +‎ klären.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːʁən/ (standard; used naturally in western Germany and Switzerland)
  • IPA(key): /ɛɐ̯ˈkleːʁən/, [-kleːɐ̯n] (overall more common; particularly northern and eastern regions)
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: er‧klä‧ren

Verb

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erklären (weak, third-person singular present erklärt, past tense erklärte, past participle erklärt, auxiliary haben)

  1. (ditransitive) to explain (to), to make clear (to)
    Der Lehrer erklärte (mir) die quadratische Gleichung sehr gut.
    The teacher explained the quadratic equation (to me) very well.
  2. to declare, assert
    Der CEO erklärte am Freitag seinen Rücktritt.
    The CEO announced his retirement on Friday.
    Die Führer der beiden Kriegsparteien erklärten einen Waffenstillstand.
    The leaders of the two warring factions declared a cease-fire.
    sich bereit erklärento agree, be willing (to do something), literally: "to declare oneself ready"
    • 1919, Walther Kabel, Irrende Seelen, Werner Dietsch Verlag, page 11:
      Und letztens, vor einem Monat, hat er mir erklärt, er würde mir auch nicht mehr mit einem Pfennig aushelfen.
      And recently, one month ago, he asserted to me that he would not even help me out with one penny anymore.

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • erklären” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • erklären” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • erklären” in Duden online
  • erklären” in OpenThesaurus.de