versichern

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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/, ,
  • 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. 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)
      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)
      Er versichert sie seiner Liebe.
      He reassures her of his love.
    4. (higher register, dated, becoming archaic)
      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, accusative reflexive) to take possession of, to secure
    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

Derived terms

Further reading