besitzen

Meaning and Usage

"besitzen" means "to possess" or "to own" in German. It is used to express ownership of something.

Linguistic Analysis

"besitzen" is a regular verb in German and consists of the prefix "be-" indicating completeness, and the root "sitzen" meaning "to sit." Its origin is from Middle High German as "bīsetzen."

Comparisons between German and English

The word "besitzen" is similar to the English word "to possess" both in meaning and structure.

Example Sentences

• Er besitzt ein großes Haus. (He owns a big house.)
• Ich besitze dieses Buch schon. (I already possess this book.)

Memory Tips

Associate "besitzen" with the English word "possess" to remember its meaning.

Conjugation (for verbs)

• Ich besitze (I possess)
• Du besitzt (You possess)
• Er/sie/es besitzt (He/she/it possesses)
• Wir besitzen (We possess)
• Ihr besitzt (You all possess)
• Sie besitzen (They possess)