bestechen

to bribe; to corrupt (an official)

verb be-SHTE-khen Rare

Usage Note

bestechen (strong verb: bestach, bestochen) means to corruptly influence someone through money or favours. The passive bestochen werden and the noun Bestechung are more common in press reports than the bare verb.

Examples

"Er versuchte, den Beamten mit einer Geldprämie zu bestechen."

Natural Translation

He tried to bribe the official with a cash payment.

Literal Translation

He tried, the official with a money-reward to bribe.

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