begeistern

inspire

verb be-GUYS-tern Less Common

Origin: from Geist ('spirit')

Also means

thrill

Usage Note

begeistern means to fill someone with enthusiasm, and is built on Geist ('spirit'). The reflexive sich für etwas begeistern means to be enthusiastic about something, and the adjective begeistert ('enthusiastic, thrilled') is far more common in everyday speech.

Examples

"Das Konzert hat alle begeistert."

Natural Translation

The concert thrilled everyone.

Literal Translation

The concert has everyone thrilled.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Wollen and More

German modal verbs put the modal in position 2 and the real verb at the end. Master können, müssen, wollen and the rest with charts and clear examples.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Du vs. Sie: When to Use Each in German

Use Sie with strangers, elders, and at work; use du with friends, family, kids, and peers. Here's how to pick the right German you every time.

June 5, 2026 6 min read