The German word "geben"

 The German word "geben" means "to give". It's an irregular (strong) verb, which means its stem vowel changes in certain conjugations and tenses. It's an incredibly common and versatile verb in German, used in many contexts beyond just the literal act of giving.

Here's how to use "geben" in German sentences, covering its various forms and common applications:

1. To Express "To Give" (Literal Sense)

This is the most direct meaning. "Geben" is a dative verb, meaning the recipient of what is given will be in the dative case. The object being given will be in the accusative case.

• Ich gebe dir ein Geschenk. (I give you [dative] a gift [accusative].)
• Gib mir bitte das Buch. (Give [imperative, informal singular] me [dative] the book [accusative] please.)
• Sie geben dem Kind Süßigkeiten. (They give [dative] the child [dative] sweets [accusative].)
• Er gibt seinem Freund Hilfe. (He gives his friend help.)

2. To Express "There Is / There Are" (Es gibt...)

This is a very common and important idiomatic use of "geben." It's always used with "es" (it) as the subject, and the thing that "is" or "exists" is in the accusative case. This is an impersonal construction.

• Es gibt viele Menschen hier. (There are many people here.)
• Gibt es eine Apotheke in der Nähe? (Is there a pharmacy nearby?)
• Es gibt keine Probleme. (There are no problems.)
• Was gibt es Neues? (What's new? / Lit. What is there new?)
• Es gab gestern einen Unfall. (There was an accident yesterday.) – Note: "gab" is the past tense form.

3. In Idiomatic Expressions and Fixed Phrases

"Geben" is part of numerous common expressions:

• Jemandem die Hand geben: To shake someone's hand (Lit. to give someone the hand)
  • Ich gebe dir die Hand. (I shake your hand.)
• Gas geben: To accelerate / To hurry up (Lit. to give gas)
  • Wir müssen Gas geben, sonst kommen wir zu spät. (We have to hurry up, otherwise we'll be late.)
• Ruhe geben: To be quiet / To shut up (Lit. to give peace)
  • Gib endlich Ruhe! (Finally be quiet!)
• Nachgeben: To give in / To yield
  • Er gab nach. (He gave in.)
• Aufgeben: To give up
  • Ich gebe niemals auf. (I never give up.)
• Wiedergeben: To reproduce / To recite
  • Kannst du den Text wiedergeben? (Can you recite the text?)
• Zurückgeben: To give back / To return
  • Bitte gib mir das Buch zurück. (Please give me the book back.)
• Etwas zu Protokoll geben: To state something for the record
  • Er gab seine Erklärung zu Protokoll. (He stated his declaration for the record.)

4. Conjugation of "geben" (Present Tense)

"Geben" is a strong verb, so the stem vowel changes for the "du" and "er/sie/es" forms.

• ich gebe (I give)
• du gibst (you [singular, informal] give)
• er/sie/es gibt (he/she/it gives)
• wir geben (we give)
• ihr gebt (you [plural, informal] give)
• sie/Sie geben (they/you [formal] give)

5. Past Tenses

• Simple Past (Präteritum):
  • ich gab (I gave)
  • Er gab ihr einen Kuss. (He gave her a kiss.)
• Present Perfect (Perfekt): Formed with "haben" + Past Participle "gegeben".
  • ich habe gegeben (I have given)
  • Sie hat mir die Schlüssel gegeben. (She has given me the keys.)

Key points to remember about "geben":

• It's a dative verb when used literally for "to give."
• The impersonal construction "Es gibt..." is extremely common for "there is/are."
• Pay attention to the vowel change for "du" and "er/sie/es" in the present tense (gibst, gibt).
• Remember its past participle is gegeben.

Mastering "geben" is crucial for fluency in German due to its frequent use and various meanings.