Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| kapitulieren | /kapituˈliːʁən/ |
| sich ergeben | /zɪç ɛʁˈɡeːbən/ (word by word) |
To express the idea of giving oneself up into the power of another, you can use either kapitulieren or the reflexive phrase sich ergeben.
Which one should you use?
kapitulieren is used for formal or military surrenders, often implying a negotiated surrender or a formal act of capitulation. In contrast, sich ergeben is the more common, general way to say someone is surrendering or giving themselves up to an authority or an opponent.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
kapitulieren is an intransitive verb and does not require a reflexive pronoun. However, sich ergeben is a reflexive verb, which means you must use a reflexive pronoun such as mich, dich or sich to express the meaning of surrendering oneself.
How do you pronounce it?
/kapituˈliːʁən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When using the phrase to mean 'to surrender', do not use ergeben alone. You must include the reflexive pronoun sich to form sich ergeben.
Did you know?
- The verb kapitulieren is borrowed from the French word capituler.
- Using the word ergeben to describe an outcome, like 'the evidence yields a result', is a very common way to use the verb outside of its military or surrender context.
Examples in context
- Hat Tom sich ergeben?Did Tom surrender?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has surrendered using sich ergeben.Tatoeba #8305796 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2235684 by CK
- Die Partei hat beschlossen, ihre Ideen nicht aufzugeben.The party decided not to give up their ideas.
- Die Armee muss kapitulieren.The army must surrender.
- Sie weigerten sich zu kapitulieren.They refused to surrender.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a historical documentary.
- MaximilianWann musste der Feind kapitulieren?When did the enemy have to surrender?
- LauraMaximilian, das war im Jahr 1945.Maximilian, that was in 1945.
- MaximilianWar die Kapitulation sehr schnell?Was the surrender very fast?
- LauraNein, es dauerte sehr lange.No, it took a very long time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surrender” translations and entries kapitulieren, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sich, ergeben) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ergeben, kapitulieren, sich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
