vergeben
Translation
to forgive, to award, to give away, to miss (an opportunity)
Examples
Ich vergebe dir deinen Fehler.
I forgive you for your mistake.
Die Jury vergibt den ersten Preis.
The jury awards the first prize.
Er hat die letzte Chance vergeben.
He missed the last chance.
Grammar Patterns
((sb.dat)) ((sth.acc)) to forgive sb. sth. I forgive you your mistake.
((sth.acc)) ((to sb.)) to award sth. to sb. The jury awards the prize to the winner.
Similar Words
Synonyms: verzeihen (to forgive), erteilen (to grant/award); Antonyms: bestrafen (to punish), nehmen (to take)
Etymology
Composed of `ver-` (away, completely) and `geben` (to give). This implies 'giving away' something, like resentment (forgiving) or a prize (awarding).
Memory Tips
Connect it to the English 'forgive'. The German `ver-` prefix functions similarly to the English 'for-' in this context, indicating a complete action.