(k)einen Sinn ergeben

to make sense or be logical

Türkçe: mantıklı olmak

Not (k)einen Sinn machen

English says to make, so machen is the verb that comes to mind. German does not take it here. Sinn goes with ergeben, and the pairing is fixed — it is not a rule you can work out, only one you can learn.

Noun

Sinn m.

Verb

ergeben

Topic

Gefühle und Geist

In a sentence

Seine seltsame Erklärung ergibt für mich keinen Sinn.

How it is used

Means to make sense or be logical. Neutral register. Used in everyday conversation: 'Diese Erklärung ergibt keinen Sinn.' Note: verb is 'ergeben' (3rd person singular), not 'ergebt'.

Other verbs that go with Sinn

This is the choice the collocation turns on.

• im Sinn habento have something in mind
• nicht aus dem Sinn gehena thought or worry persistently occupies your mind
• den Sinn erfassento grasp the meaning or significance
• den Sinn verfehlento miss the intended meaning or point
• im Sinn behaltento keep something in mind for future reference

All collocations with Sinn