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versichern

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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German

Etymology

From Middle High German versichern. 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 (Germany (Berlin)):(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 ‘someone’ and accusative ‘about something’]
      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. (accusative reflexive, higher register) [with genitive ‘about something’ or dass (+ clause) ‘that ...’]
      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.
      • 2025 August 27, Christoph Driessen, “Götz Aly sieht zwischen Weimar und heute kaum Parallelen. „Kein Grund für Alarmismus“”, in Westfalen-Blatt, number 198, page WB07:
        Heutige autoritäre und halbautoritäre Regime verfolgten zudem häufig die Strategie, sich durch soziale Wohltaten des Rückhalts der Bevölkerung zu versichern.
        Today's authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes often pursue the strategy of assuring themselves of popular support by way of social benefits.
    3. (higher register) [with accusative ‘someone’ and genitive ‘about something’]
      Er versichert sie seiner Liebe.
      He reassures her of his love.
    4. (higher register, dated, becoming archaic) [with accusative ‘someone’ and dass (+ clause) ‘that ...’]
      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.)
  3. (higher register, dated, accusative reflexive) to take possession of, to secure [with genitive ‘something’]
    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

Conjugation of versichern (weak, auxiliary haben)
More information infinitive, present participle ...

1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.

Composed forms of versichern (weak, auxiliary haben)
More information perfect, singular ...

Derived terms

Further reading

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