verb
besichtigen
tour · visit
Etwas anschauen, meist einen Ort, ein Gebäude oder eine Sehenswürdigkeit, um es kennenzulernen.
The German word "besichtigen" is a verb meaning "to visit" or "to inspect".
- It is composed of the prefix "be-" and the verb "sichtigen" (from Sicht, meaning "sight" or "view").
- So, "besichtigen" literally suggests "to take a look at" or "to view something deliberately".
Similar words:
- "besuchen" — to visit (people or places, more general)
- "inspizieren" — to inspect (more formal, often in an official context)
- "anschauen" / "ansehen" — to look at, to watch (less formal, less thorough)
Differences:
- "besichtigen" emphasizes a purposeful visit to examine or view something, often monuments, buildings, or exhibitions.
- "besuchen" is broader, used for visiting people, places or events without the primary focus on examination.
- "inspizieren" is more formal and used for thorough official inspections.
- "anschauen" / "ansehen" imply simply looking without necessarily a formal or detailed attitude.
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Examples
Wir besichtigen morgen das Museum.verb
We will tour the museum tomorrow.
Sie besichtigen den alten Dom am Nachmittag.verb
They will tour the old cathedral in the afternoon.
Er besichtigt das Schloss am Nachmittag.verb
He visits the castle in the afternoon.
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