bekämpfen
Translation
to fight, to combat, to tackle, to oppose
Examples
Wir müssen die Armut bekämpfen.
We must fight poverty.
Die Feuerwehr bekämpft das Feuer.
The fire department is fighting the fire.
Er bekämpft seine Müdigkeit mit Kaffee.
He combats his tiredness with coffee.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to fight, combat (sth.) We must fight crime.
Similar Words
streiten (to argue), angreifen (to attack); Antonyms: unterstützen (to support), fördern (to promote)
Etymology
From the prefix 'be-' (which often makes a verb transitive) + 'kämpfen' (to fight). So, it means to direct a fight *at* something.
Memory Tips
While 'kämpfen' can mean 'to fight' in general, 'bekämpfen' always needs an object. You fight *something*.