Verb

wahr|haben

to admit, to accept as true, to acknowledge

Er will es einfach nicht wahrhaben.

He just doesn't want to admit it.

Sie konnte die traurige Nachricht nicht wahrhaben.

She couldn't accept the sad news.

((sth.)) wahrhaben to admit (sth.), to accept (sth.) as true He doesn't want to admit his mistake.

Synonyms: zugeben, anerkennen; Antonyms: leugnen (to deny)

From 'wahr' (true) and 'haben' (to have). Literally 'to have as true'.

Think of 'having' something as 'true' in your mind. It's most often used in the negative, like 'Ich will es nicht wahrhaben' (I don't want to accept it as true).

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.