beilegen

Meaning (English)

beilegen is a separable verb (legen with the prefix bei-). It has two common meanings:

1. to enclose / include (as an attachment)

   • Used when you put something into a letter, package, or set of documents.
   • Example sense: to enclose a document, leaflet, receipt, etc.

2. to settle / resolve (a dispute or conflict)

   • Used when a disagreement is brought to an end, often by calming things down or reaching an agreement.
   • Example sense: to settle an argument, a quarrel, a conflict

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Word parts

• bei-: conveys “with / alongside / in addition”
• legen: “to lay / to put / to place”

As a separable verb:

• Ich lege den Brief bei. (I enclose it with the letter.)
• Der Streit wird beigelegt. (The dispute is settled.) — past participle: beigelegt

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German synonyms

Meaning 1: “to enclose”

• beifügen
• hinzufügen
• mitschicken
• einschließen (often “to enclose” in a more general sense)

Meaning 2: “to settle a dispute”

• schlichten
• klären
• lösen
• ausräumen (e.g., Missverständnisse ausräumen)
• sich einigen (reflexive, “to come to an agreement”)

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German antonyms (if applicable)

Meaning 1:

• weglassen (to leave out)
• entfernen (to remove)

Meaning 2:

• anheizen / verschärfen (to inflame / escalate)
• anfachen (to stir up)
• provozieren (to provoke)