Ways to say it
| German |
|---|
| sich verbeugen |
| eine Verbeugung machen |
| sich verneigen |
The verb describes the action of bending oneself as a gesture of respect or deference. You can also use the phrase eine Verbeugung machen to describe the physical act of performing a bow as a discrete event. Note that if you are referring to a different kind of 'bow', such as the curved shape of a rainbow or a bow and arrow, you would use the masculine noun Bogen (plural: Bögen). If you mean a looped or tied bow on a gift or decoration, use the feminine noun Schleife (plural: Schleifen).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase sich verbeugen is reflexive and literally means 'to bow oneself'.
Which one should you use?
While sich verbeugen is the standard way to say 'to bow', sich verneigen is often used to describe a more subtle or slight inclination of the head or body.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of the reflexive verb sich verbeugen is verbeugte sich in the simple past or hat sich verbeugt in the present perfect.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget the reflexive pronoun sich and mistakenly say verbeugen instead of sich verbeugen when they mean the person is performing the action.
Did you know?
- While sich verbeugen is used for respect, the root beugen is also used in the phrase das Genick beugen, which means 'to submit' or 'to give in' to a superior force.
- The verb beugen used in sich verbeugen is the same word used for bending a piece of metal or a branch. While it describes a gesture of respect, the literal root is simply the physical act of curving something.
- The word machen inside the phrase eine Verbeugung machen shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'make'. Both come from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to knead or mix'.
Examples in context
- Der Bogen des Regenbogens erstrahlte in allen Farben.The bow of the rainbow shimmered in all colors.
- Sie band eine hübsche Schleife um das Geschenk.She tied a beautiful bow around the gift.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries machen, sich, verbeugen, verneigen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
