Skip to content

ablehnen

reject

verb AP-lay-nen Less Common

Also means

decline

Usage Note

ablehnen is a separable verb: the ab- splits off in main clauses, as in Sie lehnt den Vorschlag ab ('she rejects the proposal'). It's the standard word for turning down an offer, application, or invitation.

Examples

"Er lehnt das Angebot ab."

Natural Translation

He rejects the offer.

Literal Translation

He rejects the offer off.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore German by topic