der / die  Bekannte

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/bəˈkantə/

👤 What does Bekannte mean?

The word Bekannte is a substantivized adjective (derived from bekannt meaning 'known') and refers to a person you know, but not necessarily consider a close friend. The article depends on the gender of the person:

• der Bekannte: Refers to a male acquaintance.
• die Bekannte: Refers to a female acquaintance.

It describes a relationship that goes beyond being strangers but is often less intense than a friendship (Freundschaft). Germans also talk about the Bekanntenkreis, which includes all the people one knows.

🚨 Note: It is declined like an adjective (see grammar).

🧐 Grammar of der/die Bekannte

Since Bekannte is a substantivized adjective, its declension follows the rules of adjective declension. It usually follows weak declension when preceded by an article (der/die) or another determiner.

Declension of der Bekannte (masculine)

Declension of die Bekannte (feminine)

Examples:

• Der Bekannte meines Vaters hat angerufen. (My father's acquaintance called. - Nominative singular, male)
• Ich habe einen Bekannten getroffen. (I met an acquaintance. - Accusative singular, male, mixed declension after 'ein')
• Wir haben die Bekannte im Supermarkt gesehen. (We saw the acquaintance in the supermarket. - Accusative singular, female)
• Das Geschenk ist für meine Bekannte. (The gift is for my acquaintance. - Accusative singular, female, mixed declension after 'mein')
• Viele Bekannte kamen zur Feier. (Many acquaintances came to the party. - Nominative plural)

🗣️ How to use Bekannte?

The term Bekannte(r) is used to describe a person you know but with whom you don't have a particularly close relationship. It's a level between Fremde(r) (stranger) and Freund(in) (friend).

• Context: Often used in social settings, when describing networks, or talking about casual encounters.
• Distinction: A Bekannter is not automatically a Freund. This distinction is relatively important in German. Mistakenly calling someone a Freund when they are just a Bekannter might be perceived as inappropriate.
• Plural: The plural die Bekannten refers to a group of people (men, women, or mixed) whom one knows.
• Formality: The term is common in both formal and informal contexts.

Example: "Er ist kein enger Freund, eher ein Bekannter aus dem Sportverein." (He's not a close friend, more of an acquaintance from the sports club.)

🧠 Mnemonics for Bekannte

1. For the articles (der/die): Remember that the article follows the person's biological gender: der for a male acquaintance, die for a female acquaintance. Think 'der' ends in 'r' like 'Sir' (male), 'die' ends in 'e' like 'She' (female).
2. For the meaning: The word comes from bekannt (known). A Bekannte(r) is someone who is 'known' to you. Imagine you 'can't' quite place them as a close friend, but they are 'known' - they are an acquaintance, a Bekannte(r).

You know him, the fellow over there? He is der Bekannte.
You know her, the lady with flair? She is die Bekannte.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but potentially misleading words:

• Verwandte(r): Refers to relatives (family members), not just acquaintances.
• Kollege / Kollegin: Refers to colleagues (people one works with). A colleague can also be an acquaintance or a friend, but the terms are not interchangeable.

😂 A little joke

Fragt der eine Bekannte den anderen: "Sag mal, kennst du den Witz von den zwei Bekannten?"
Sagt der andere: "Nein." Darauf der erste: "Ich auch nicht, wir sind ja nur Bekannte!" 😄

Translation:
One acquaintance asks the other: "Say, do you know the joke about the two acquaintances?"
The other says: "No." The first replies: "Me neither, we're just acquaintances!" 😄

✍️ Poem about Acquaintances

Ein Nicken hier, ein Gruß von fern,
man kennt sich halt, nicht ganz so gern
wie Freunde, die das Herz erfreu'n,
doch besser als ganz allein zu sein.

Der Herr dort drüben, der Bekannte,
die Dame da, die viel Gewandte.
Man wechselt Worte, kurz und knapp,
ein flüchtiger Kontakt, nicht schlapp.

So ist der Kreis, nicht eng, nicht weit,
von Leuten, die bekannt dir seit
geraumer Zeit, doch fremd im Kern –
man sieht sie manchmal, doch nicht sternhagelgern.

Translation:
A nod here, a greeting from afar,
one knows each other, just not quite as fondly
as friends who delight the heart,
but better than being all alone.

The gentleman over there, the acquaintance (male),
the lady there, the very skilled one (female).
Words are exchanged, brief and concise,
a fleeting contact, not weak.

Such is the circle, not close, not wide,
of people known to you for
some time, yet strangers at the core –
you see them sometimes, but not eagerly.

❓ Riddle

Ich bin kein Freund, doch auch kein Feind,
mein Gesicht ist dir nicht unbekannt, wie's scheint.
Mal männlich (der), mal weiblich (die),
wer bin ich, sag es schnell und hie? ... Ein(e) Bekannte(r)

Translation:
I am no friend, but also no enemy,
my face is not unknown to you, it seems.
Sometimes male (der), sometimes female (die),
who am I, tell me quickly here and now?
... An acquaintance (male/female)

💡 Other Information

Word Formation:

The word Bekannte(r) is a classic example of substantivization in German. The past participle of the verb kennen (to know), which is bekannt (known), is used here as a noun. Such substantivizations of adjectives or participles are common in German (e.g., der Angestellte - the employee, die Reisende - the traveller (f), das Gute - the good thing).

Cultural Aspect:

The clear distinction between Bekannte(r) (acquaintance) and Freund(in) (friend) is often more important in German-speaking countries than, for example, in the Anglosphere, where the term 'friend' can be used more broadly.