What is the difference between “enden” and “beenden”

Verbs

Mar 13

When learning German, you will eventually come across two similar verbs, “enden” and “beenden,” which often confuse students because they are so alike. Read this article to get the difference finally.

When to use “enden” in German

The German verb "enden" means something is ending or finishing. It's a regular verb, so its forms change in a way you can expect without any surprises. "Enden" is usually used when talking about events, processes, or times that come to their expected or planned finish. This verb highlights that an action is complete or something happening has stopped, showing it has fully ended.

For example:

Der Film endet um zehn Uhr. → The movie ends at ten o'clock.

Der Unterricht endet in 10 Minuten. → The class ends in 10 minutes.

Remember: “Enden” means something like an event is ending or finishing.

When to use “beenden” in German

The German verb "beenden" means a person is actively finishing or ending something. It's a regular verb, which follows the usual way of changing forms. Unlike "enden," which is used when something ends on its own, "beenden" shows that someone is trying to end something. This verb always comes with an object that shows exactly what is being ended. Using "beenden" points out that someone (like a person or a machine) is involved in stopping an activity, project, or period of time, showing a clear action to bring it to an end.

For example:

Ich beende meine Arbeit um fünf Uhr. → I finish my work at five o'clock.

Der Lehrer beendet den Unterricht in 10 Minuten. → The class ends in 10 minutes.

Remember: "Beenden" emphasizes an active effort by a subject to bring something to an end.

Conclusion

I hope this article made it clear to you the difference between the two German verbs "enden" and "beenden". When you're not sure which to use, ask yourself: