verb
to give (as a gift), to present
A2
Schenken means to give as a gift or to present. It is a regular weak verb (perfect geschenkt) and uses the auxiliary haben. It is non‑reflexive and not separable. Common constructions: jemandem etwas schenken (to give someone something). Imperative forms: schenk! schenkt! Schenken Sie!
Examples
Ich habe dir ein Geschenk geschenkt.
I gave you a present.
Die Firma schenkte den Kunden kleine Aufmerksamkeiten.
The company presented the customers with small tokens of appreciation.
Sie schenkte ihm Blumen.
She gave him flowers.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture someone handing over a wrapped present.
schen-ken — think 'shank' handing over a present.
Notes
Regular verb commonly used for giving gifts; uses dative for recipient and accusative for the thing given. Note: personal passive forms with a human subject (e.g. 'ich werde geschenkt') are misleading for this verb because the recipient is normally a dative argument. For recipient-focused passive, use 'beschenkt werden' (z. B. 'Ich werde beschenkt'), or form the passive with the thing as subject (z. B. 'Das Geschenk wird dem Mann geschenkt').