versichern

German

Etymology

From Lua error in Module:utilities at line 142: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'h' (a nil value). Equivalen to ver- +‎ sichern. The insurance sense (17th c.) is a calque of Italian assicurare.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ferˈzɪçərn/, [fɐˈzɪ.çɐn], [fɛɐ̯-]
  • audio(file)
  • audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: ver‧si‧chern

Verb

versichern (weak, third-person singular present versichert, past tense versicherte, past participle versichert, auxiliary haben)

  1. to insure (to provide for compensation if some specified risk occurs)
    Bei welcher Krankenkasse bist du versichert?
    Which health insurance company are you insured under?
    Sie möchte ihren Hausrat gegen Feuer versichern.
    She would like to insure her housegood goods against fire.
  2. to reassure, assure
    Synonyms: zusichern, vergewissern
    1. with dative of the person and accusative of the thing or a following clause
      Er versichert ihr seine Liebe.
      He reassures her of his love.
      Ich versichere Ihnen, dass wir alles tun, um ihn zu finden.
      Let me assure you that we are doing everything to find him.
    2. (higher register) with reflexive accusative and genitive of the thing or a following clause
      Ich wollte mich Ihrer Unterstützung versichern.
      I wanted to assure myself of your support.
      Zunächst einmal muss ich mich versichern, dass du das wirklich willst.
      First of all, I need to make (myself) sure that you really want this.
    3. (higher register) with accusative of the person and genitive of the thing
      Er versichert sie seiner Liebe.
      He reassures her of his love.
    4. (higher register, dated, becoming archaic, with accusative of the person and a following clause)
      Ich versichere Sie, dass wir alles tun, um ihn zu finden.
      Let me assure you that we are doing everything to find him.
      (This usage will now be felt as ungrammatical by many speakers.)
      • 1766, Christoph Martin Wieland, chapter 2, in Geschichte des Agathon‎, volume 1:
        Ich versichre dich, Hippias, meine Geduld reicht nicht mehr zu, alle Torheiten dieser abgeschmackten Gecken auszustehen, welche die Sprache der Empfindung reden wollen und nichts fühlen; […]
        (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  3. (higher register, dated) to take possession of, to secure (with reflexive accusative and genitive of the thing)
    Synonym: bemächtigen
    Der Spion versicherte sich der geheimen Dokumente und flüchtete in die Berge.
    The spy secured the secret documents and fled into the mountains.

Usage notes
  • For the sense "to reassure, assure", versichern can take a dative construction only with non-reflexive usage.

Conjugation

Lua error in Module:utilities at line 142: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'h' (a nil value)

Derived terms

Further reading
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