adjective

beschrieben

describe

Mit Worten erklärt oder dargestellt.

Definition & Meaning

The word beschreiben is a verb that has two primary meanings:

To describe: To give an account in words of someone or something, including their characteristics, appearance, or events.
To write on: To cover a surface (like a piece of paper or a hard drive) with writing or characters.

In the past participle form, beschrieben, it refers to something that has already been written about or something that has had writing placed upon it.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: It is a separable verb (if used in the present tense, e.g., "Ich beschreibe das Bild"). It is a strong verb. The principal parts are: beschreiben (infinitive), beschrieb (past tense), and beschrieben (past participle).
Word origin: It is derived from the prefix be- (meaning to provide or affect) and schreiben (to write). Literally, it means "to write upon" or "to write about."