A1 verb #190 am häufigsten 2 Min. Lesezeit

accept

To agree to take something that is given to you.

Explanation at your level:

When someone gives you a gift, you accept it. You say 'thank you' and take it. You can also accept an invite to a party. It means you say 'yes' to your friends.

You use accept when you agree to do something. For example, if a company offers you a job, you accept the offer. It is a very common word for agreeing to things in your daily life.

At this level, accept is used for more than just physical objects. You accept responsibility for your actions. You also accept that something is true, even if you don't like it. It's a key word for expressing your feelings about reality.

Accept often appears in professional settings. You might accept terms and conditions or accept a formal apology. It carries a sense of finality or agreement that is very important in business and social etiquette.

In advanced English, accept is used to describe complex intellectual processes. You might accept a premise in an argument or accept the limitations of a theory. It implies a conscious decision to acknowledge a specific state of affairs.

At the highest level, accept can be used in philosophical or literary contexts. One might accept their fate or accept the ambiguity of a situation. It signifies a profound level of maturity and intellectual surrender to the complexities of human experience.

Wort in 30 Sekunden

  • Accept means to take or agree.
  • Commonly used in formal and social contexts.
  • Pronounced ak-SEPT.
  • Don't confuse with except.

Hey there! Accept is a super useful verb that pops up in almost every conversation. At its core, it means to take something that is offered to you, like a gift or a job.

But it goes deeper than just taking things! You can also accept an invitation to a party, which is just a polite way of saying 'yes.' Beyond that, we use it to talk about our mindset. When you accept a situation, you stop fighting it and recognize it as the truth, even if it's tough.

The word accept has quite a journey! It comes from the Latin word acceptare, which is the frequentative form of accipere. That Latin root is a combination of ad (to) and capere (to take).

It traveled through Old French as accepter before landing in English in the 14th century. It shares a family tree with words like capture and capacity. Isn't it cool how accept literally means 'to take to oneself'?

We use accept in many ways. You might accept an apology or accept a challenge. It sounds quite formal in some contexts, like 'The committee will accept the proposal.'

In casual speech, we often use it to show agreement. If you are struggling with a hard truth, you might say, 'I have to accept that this happened.' It is a versatile word that fits in both boardrooms and living rooms.

Idioms make language fun! 1. Accept the inevitable: To stop fighting something that cannot be changed. 2. Take it as it comes: To accept things without worrying. 3. Accept defeat: To stop trying because you know you cannot win. 4. Accept at face value: To believe something is true without looking for hidden meanings. 5. Accept the consequences: To be ready for the results of your actions.

Accept is a regular verb. Its past tense is accepted, and its present participle is accepting. It is often followed by a noun or an infinitive verb (e.g., 'He accepted to help').

Pronunciation-wise, it sounds like ak-SEPT. Be careful not to confuse it with except, which sounds similar but means something completely different! The stress is always on the second syllable.

Fun Fact

It shares a root with 'captive'.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /əkˈsept/

Starts with a schwa sound.

US /əkˈsept/

Clear stress on the second syllable.

Common Errors

  • Pronouncing it like 'except'
  • Stressing the first syllable
  • Dropping the 'p' sound

Rhymes With

except decept precept intercept recept

Difficulty Rating

Lesen 1/5

easy

Writing 2/5

moderate

Speaking 2/5

moderate

Hören 1/5

easy

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

take give yes

Learn Next

acceptance acceptable except

Fortgeschritten

acquiesce acknowledge

Grammar to Know

Verb Tenses

I accepted the gift.

Subject-Verb Agreement

She accepts the offer.

Infinitive vs Gerund

I accepted to help.

Examples by Level

1

I accept your gift.

I take it.

Subject-Verb-Object

2

She accepts the invitation.

3

He accepts the apple.

4

They accept the help.

5

I accept your offer.

6

We accept the rules.

7

She accepts the apology.

8

He accepts the prize.

1

I accept the job offer.

2

Do you accept credit cards?

3

She accepted the challenge.

4

He accepted the truth.

5

They accepted the invitation.

6

I accept your decision.

7

We accept the responsibility.

8

She accepts the changes.

1

He struggled to accept the loss.

2

The shop doesn't accept returns.

3

I accept that I was wrong.

4

She found it hard to accept the news.

5

They accepted the terms of the deal.

6

I accept your apology fully.

7

He accepted the award with grace.

8

We must accept the reality of the situation.

1

The university accepted her application.

2

He refused to accept the blame.

3

She had to accept the consequences.

4

They were unable to accept the outcome.

5

I accept your point of view.

6

The system does not accept this format.

7

He accepted the role of leader.

8

She accepted the challenge with confidence.

1

He accepted the premise of the argument.

2

She was forced to accept the constraints.

3

The committee accepted the proposal.

4

They accepted the inherent risks.

5

I accept the validity of your claim.

6

He accepted the inevitability of change.

7

She accepted the offer with reservations.

8

They accepted the cultural differences.

1

He accepted his mortality with serenity.

2

She accepted the paradox of her existence.

3

They accepted the mantle of leadership.

4

The artist accepted the critique gracefully.

5

He accepted the burden of his past.

6

She accepted the ambiguity of the text.

7

They accepted the consensus of the group.

8

I accept the weight of this decision.

Häufige Kollokationen

accept an offer
accept an invitation
accept responsibility
accept an apology
accept the truth
accept a challenge
accept defeat
accept terms
readily accept
graciously accept

Idioms & Expressions

"take it on the chin"

to accept defeat bravely

He had to take it on the chin.

casual

"bite the bullet"

to accept a painful situation

I had to bite the bullet and pay.

casual

"come to terms with"

to accept a difficult reality

She came to terms with her loss.

neutral

"take something as it comes"

to accept life as it happens

I just take each day as it comes.

casual

"face the music"

to accept the consequences

He had to face the music.

casual

"swallow the pill"

to accept something unpleasant

It was a hard pill to swallow.

casual

Easily Confused

accept vs except

similar sound

except means to leave out

I like all fruit except apples.

accept vs admit

both involve truth

admit is about confessing

I admit I was wrong.

accept vs receive

both mean getting

receive is more passive

I received a letter.

accept vs agree

both show consent

agree is about opinion

I agree with you.

Sentence Patterns

A1

Subject + accept + object

I accept the gift.

B1

Subject + accept + that + clause

I accept that he is right.

B2

Subject + accept + object + as + noun

I accept the situation as normal.

B2

Subject + be + willing + to + accept

I am willing to accept.

A2

Subject + refuse + to + accept

He refused to accept it.

Wortfamilie

Nouns

acceptance the act of accepting

Verbs

accept to take

Adjectives

acceptable satisfactory

Verwandt

except often confused

How to Use It

frequency

9

Formality Scale

Formal Neutral Casual

Häufige Fehler

confusing accept with except accept
Accept is to take; except is to exclude.
I accept to go I agree to go
Accept is usually followed by a noun, not an infinitive.
accept for accept
Accept does not need a preposition.
accepting the situation as accepting the situation
It doesn't need an extra 'as'.
I accept you I accept your apology
Usually you accept an object or idea, not a person.

Tips

💡

Say It Right

Focus on the 'sept' sound.

💡

Don't Make This Mistake

Do not confuse with except.

💡

Grammar Shortcut

Accept is a verb, acceptance is a noun.

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When Native Speakers Use It

When agreeing to terms.

💡

Memory Palace Trick

Visualizing a handshake.

🌍

Cultural Insight

It is polite to accept gifts.

💡

Did You Know?

It comes from Latin.

💡

Study Smart

Write 5 sentences daily.

💡

Register

Use 'accept' for formal agreements.

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Verb Pattern

Accept + noun is most common.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

A-C-C-E-P-T: Always Collect Carefully Everything Presented To-you.

Visual Association

An open hand receiving a gift.

Word Web

agree take receive admit

Herausforderung

Use 'accept' in a sentence today.

Wortherkunft

Latin

Original meaning: To take to oneself

Kultureller Kontext

None

Used frequently in formal business and social invitations.

'I accept this award' (common in movies)

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

at work

  • accept an offer
  • accept responsibility
  • accept terms

social

  • accept an invitation
  • accept an apology
  • accept a gift

academic

  • accept a theory
  • accept the findings
  • accept the premise

daily life

  • accept a challenge
  • accept the truth
  • accept defeat

Conversation Starters

"Do you find it easy to accept change?"

"Have you ever had to accept a difficult truth?"

"What is the best gift you have ever accepted?"

"Do you accept invitations easily?"

"Why is it hard to accept defeat?"

Journal Prompts

Write about a time you accepted a challenge.

Describe a situation you had to accept.

How do you feel when you accept an apology?

Why is acceptance important in life?

Häufig gestellte Fragen

8 Fragen

No, they are homophones with different meanings.

It is better to say 'agree to do'.

It is used in both formal and informal settings.

Acceptance.

A-C-C-E-P-T.

Yes, accepted.

Usually for ideas or things, not people.

Yes, very common.

Teste dich selbst

fill blank A1

Please ___ the gift.

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: accept

Accept means to take.

multiple choice A2

Which means to say yes?

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: accept

Accept implies agreement.

true false B1

Accept and except mean the same.

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Falsch

They are different words.

match pairs B1

Word

Bedeutung

All matched!

Synonyms and antonyms.

sentence order B2

Tippe auf die Wörter unten, um den Satz zu bilden
Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:

Subject-Verb-Object.

Ergebnis: /5

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