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German frequency list

No. 6,656 in German

erkennen

"Erkennen" means "to recognize" or "to perceive clearly."

In a sentence

  • Ich konnte ihn in der Menschenmenge nicht erkennen.

    I couldn't recognize him in the crowd.

    In this sentence, 'erkennen' is used to denote the ability to identify someone, implying recognizing someone's physical appearance amongst many others.

  • Du musst die Chancen in dieser Situation erkennen.

    You must recognize the opportunities in this situation.

    Here, 'erkennen' is used in a figurative sense, meaning to perceive or grasp opportunities within a scenario, emphasizing recognizing an abstract concept.

  • Er konnte endlich das Problem erkennen und lösen.

    He could finally recognize and solve the problem.

    In this context, 'erkennen' refers to identifying or realizing the cause or essence of a problem, often facilitating a resolution after understanding it.

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