verraten
Translation
to betray, to reveal, to give away
Examples
Er hat seine Freunde verraten.
He betrayed his friends.
Sie hat mir ein Geheimnis verraten.
She told me a secret.
Sein Blick verriet seine Angst.
His look betrayed his fear.
Grammar Patterns
((sb.)) to betray (sb.) He betrayed his best friend.
((sb.dat)) ((sth.acc)) to reveal (sth.) to (sb.) Can you reveal your secret to me?
Similar Words
Synonyms: preisgeben, offenbaren; Antonyms: verschweigen, verheimlichen
Etymology
Prefix 'ver-' (wrongly) + 'raten' (to advise, guess). Originally 'to misadvise', leading to betrayal or revealing something.
Memory Tips
Think of 'ver-' as doing something wrong with advice ('raten'), which leads to betraying or revealing a secret.