bezwingen

/bəˈtsvɪŋən/

verb C1

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Forms

present: bezwingt
past: bezwang
perfect: hat bezwungen

Meaning

to conquer
- Sie bezwangen den höchsten Gipfel.
  
  They conquered the highest peak.
- Der Bergsteiger bezwang den Gipfel bei Sturm. Sein Team jubelte am Fuß des Berges.
  
  The mountaineer conquered the summit in a storm. His team cheered at the foot of the mountain.

Similar words

erobern

Erobern is the more common word for conquering territory or winning someone's heart; bezwingen is slightly more literary, used for conquering an obstacle or opponent, like "einen Berg bezwingen," conquering a mountain.

Similar in other languages

Spanish

conquistar

conquistar is the Spanish word for the same thing — both mean "to conquer."

French

conquérir

conquérir is the French word for the same thing — both mean "to conquer."

Practice

1 What does bezwingen mean?

2 Which fingerprint chart matches bezwingen?

verbirregular

Last updated 2026-09-24