wegen

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋeːɣə(n)/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːɣən

From Middle Dutch wēgen, from Old Dutch *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą, from Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti.

wegen

1. (transitive) to weigh (to determine the weight or be of specified weight)

   Synonym: wikken

   Hoeveel weeg je?

   How much do you weigh?

   Het schip was gebouwd voor een bemanning van 435 personen en woog 1200 ton.

   The ship was built for a crew of 435 people and weighed 1200 tons.

• weging
• weegschaal
• afwegen
• bewegen

• gewicht
• wikken

• → Sranan Tongo: wegi

See the etymology of the main entry.

wegen

1. Plural form of weg

Shortened from Middle High German "von <noun in the genitive> wegen"; ultimately the dative plural of Middle High German wec (“place, side”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈveːɡən/, /ˈveːɡŋ̩/

wegen (+ genitive or dative)

1. for, because of

   Wegen des schlechten Wetters werden wir zu Hause bleiben.

   Because of the bad weather, we will stay at home.

1.) While use with the dative is now considered acceptable in informal use, it is still considered erroneous by conservative or linguistically aware speakers (except in certain cases, see below). In the standard language, wegen is usually followed by the original genitive:

• Die Autobahn wurde wegen eines Unfalls gesperrt. ― The autobahn was closed because of an accident.

Even in formal language, the dative case is normally used if the genitive would be indistinguishable from the nominative in form, which is the case with plural nouns not preceded by an article, determiner, or adjective:

• Die Autobahn wurde wegen Unfällen gesperrt. ― The autobahn was closed because of accidents.

The dative case is also used with pronouns whose genitive form is not heard as often, and if a possessive genitive is preceding the referent of the preposition.

• Er rief wegen etwas Wichtigem an. ― He called because of something important.
• Er rief wegen Peters neuem Auto an. ― He called because of Peter's new car.
  (→ wegen Peters neuen Autos is possible, but unusual)

Masculine and neuter singular nouns not preceded by an article, determiner, or adjective may take inflectional -(e)s, although this is now quite formal. Personal names never take an ending.

• Er war wegen Fieber(s) verhindert. ― He was unavailable because of a fever.
• Sie ist wegen Anton nach Köln gezogen. ― She moved to Cologne because of Anton.

Personal pronouns and some other pronouns have special contracted forms with wegen:

• meinetwegen, deinetwegen, seinetwegen, ihretwegen, unseretwegen, euretwegen
• dessentwegen, derentwegen, wessentwegen, weßwegen (dated)

2.) In the vernacular, and occasionally in writing, it is common to use the dative case after wegen at all times, whereby all the above peculiarities cease to apply. To some, the genitive may even sound pretentious in a private conversation. This is long-standing practice in the German dialects, which have mostly abolished the genitive per se.

• Die Autobahn wurde wegen einem Unfall gesperrt. ― The autobahn was closed because of an accident.

3.) In very formal usage, wegen may be used as a postposition (always with genitive).

• Die Autobahn wurde eines Unfalls wegen gesperrt. ― The autobahn was closed because of an accident.

• Weg
• von wegen!

• wegen in Duden online

From Old Dutch *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą, from Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti.

wēgen

1. to weigh, to have a certain weight
2. to weigh, to determine the weight of
3. to weigh, to consider

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

• Dutch: wegen, wikken
• Limburgish: waege

• “weghen (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “wegen (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

From Proto-Germanic *waigijaną.

wēgen

1. to torment, to treat badly

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

• “wēgen”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

wegen

1. plural of wei