Polyglot Dictionary

gestatten

/ɡəˈʃtatn̩/

verb C1

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

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

V Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Academic Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

present
gestattet
past
gestattete
perfect
hat gestattet

Meaning

  1. to permit, to allow

    • Wir gestatten uns, Sie einzuladen.

      We take the liberty of inviting you.

    • Die Schulordnung gestattet keine Handys im Unterricht. Wer eines hat, muss es abgeben.

      The school rules do not permit mobile phones in lessons. Anyone who has one has to hand it in.

V Category Action Concreteness Concrete Agency Voluntary Duration Durative Transitivity Transitive

Similar words

erlauben

gestatten is more formal and polite than erlauben, often used in written signs or formal requests; erlauben is the everyday verb for "to allow, permit."

Similar in other languages

English

allow

allow is the English word for the same thing — both mean "to permit, to allow."

Practice

1 What does gestatten mean?

2 Fill the gap: Wir ___ uns, Sie einzuladen.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches gestatten?

verb

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