Before you start
Meet anvertrauen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 4 meanings
- (transitive) to entrust [with accusative ‘a secret’ and dative ‘to someone’]
- (transitive) to entrust, to consign [with accusative ‘something’ and dative ‘to someone’]
- (transitive) to entrust to someone's care, auspices [with accusative ‘someone’ and dative ‘to someone’]
- (reflexive) to open up, to open one's heart (usually in secret) [with dative ‘to someone’]
Build the meaning
an- + vertrauen
- an-
- toward or into someone’s care
- vertrauen
- to trust
You place something into the care of someone you trust.
So anvertrauen means to entrust; to confide.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Separable verb: an·vertrauen
In a main clause the prefix an splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseEr vertraut seinem Freund den Schlüssel an.He entrusts the key to his friend.
Subordinate clauseSie sagt, dass sie ihm ihr Kind anvertraut.She says that she entrusts her child to him.
Participle: anvertrautzu-infinitive: anzuvertrauen
Forms
How anvertrauen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | vertraue an | vertraute an |
| du | vertraust an | vertrautest an |
| er/sie/es | vertraut an | vertraute an |
| wir | vertrauen an | vertrauten an |
| ihr | vertraut an | vertrautet an |
| Sie | vertrauen an | vertrauten an |
Partizip II anvertraut · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Ich vertraue meiner Schwester mein Geld an.I entrust my money to my sister.prefix goes to the end
- 2Sie hat mir ihr Geheimnis anvertraut.She confided her secret to me.Perfekt with haben
- 3Ich kann dir meine Sorgen anvertrauen.I can confide my worries to you.infinitive after modal