antworten VS beantworten? | Was ist der Unterschied? 🧐
Antworten and beantworten both mean "to answer" or "to reply", but they are not interchangeable. The difference is in the grammar: antworten goes with a person in the dative or with the preposition auf, while beantworten always needs a direct object in the accusative. Both verbs are very common in daily life and especially useful in business German.
Test Yourself First
Which of these five sentences are correct?
- Ich werde morgen beantworten.
- Ich beantworte auf die E-Mail.
- Ich antworte die E-Mail.
- Ich beantworte dir.
- Ich antworte dich.
They are all wrong. The corrections are further down.
antworten: to Reply to a Person (Dative)
Antworten is best translated as "to reply", specifically to reply to a person. When it is used with a person, that person is in the dative. Antworten is a dative verb.
- Ich werde dir morgen antworten. I will reply to you tomorrow.
- Hast du dem Kunden schon geantwortet? Have you replied to the customer yet?
You can also use antworten without any object:
- Die KI antwortet normalerweise sehr schnell. The AI usually answers very quickly. (KI is short for künstliche Intelligenz.)
- Hast du schon geantwortet? Have you already replied?
To be more precise, add a person in the dative: Hast du deiner Chefin schon geantwortet? or Hast du ihm schon geantwortet?
antworten auf: to Reply to Something (Accusative)
- Ich antworte morgen auf deine Nachricht. I will reply to your message tomorrow.
- Hast du auf die E-Mail schon geantwortet? Have you replied to the email yet?
Auf is a two-way preposition, but antworten auf always takes the accusative. You reply to a question, a message, an email or a letter.
beantworten: to Answer Something (Accusative Object)
Beantworten always requires a direct object in the accusative. It has no preposition.
- Hast du die E-Mail schon beantwortet? Have you answered the email yet? This has exactly the same meaning as Hast du auf die E-Mail schon geantwortet?
- Wer beantwortet das Kundenfeedback? Who is answering the customer feedback?
- Beantworten Sie bitte die Frage. Please answer the question.
You can add a person in the dative, but the accusative object has to stay:
- Ich werde dir morgen die Frage beantworten. I will answer your question tomorrow.
- Hast du der Chefin die Frage beantwortet? Have you answered the boss's question?
Overview
| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| antworten | no object | Hast du schon geantwortet? |
| antworten | + person in the dative | Ich antworte dir. |
| antworten auf | + thing in the accusative | Ich antworte auf die E-Mail. |
| beantworten | + thing in the accusative (required) | Ich beantworte die E-Mail. |
| beantworten | + person in the dative + thing in the accusative | Ich beantworte dir die Frage. |
Bonus Tip: Partizip II
Both verbs are regular. Antworten becomes geantwortet. Verbs that start with be-, such as bekommen, bezahlen and beantworten, do not get the extra ge-: beantwortet.
- Ich habe die Rechnung bezahlt. I have paid the invoice.
- Ich habe das Paket bekommen. I received the package.
- Ich habe die E-Mail beantwortet. I have answered the email.
The Five Sentences Corrected
| Wrong | Why | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Ich werde morgen beantworten. | beantworten always needs a direct object | Ich werde morgen antworten. |
| Ich beantworte auf die E-Mail. | beantworten auf does not exist | Ich beantworte die E-Mail. |
| Ich antworte die E-Mail. | antworten needs auf before a thing | Ich antworte auf die E-Mail. or Ich beantworte die E-Mail. |
| Ich beantworte dir. | the accusative object is missing | Ich beantworte dir die E-Mail. |
| Ich antworte dich. | antworten takes the dative for a person | Ich antworte dir. |
Homework
Write two sentences: one with antworten and one with beantworten. You can also say the same thing twice, once with each verb.
What to Learn Next
More verbs with a person in the dative are in All German B1 Dative Verbs and German Verbs with Dative and Accusative Objects. For verbs with fixed prepositions like antworten auf, see The Top 20 German Verbs with Prepositions. The rule for participles without ge- is explained in The German Past Participle: Exceptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between antworten and beantworten?
Both mean to answer or reply. Antworten is used with a person in the dative or with auf plus a thing. Beantworten always needs a direct object in the accusative and has no preposition.
Is it antworten auf or beantworten auf?
Only antworten auf exists: Ich antworte auf die E-Mail. With beantworten you use no preposition: Ich beantworte die E-Mail.
Does antworten take dative or accusative?
A person is in the dative: Ich antworte dir. A thing follows auf and is in the accusative: Ich antworte auf deine Nachricht.
Can I use beantworten without an object?
No. Beantworten always requires a direct object. Ich werde morgen beantworten is wrong. Say Ich werde morgen antworten.
What is the past participle of beantworten?
Beantwortet, without ge-, like other verbs with be-. The participle of antworten is geantwortet.
Small differences like antworten and beantworten matter in emails and at work. Our B1 German online course covers them with clear rules and exercises.
