All about bestellen

Many of us are living in countries with shopping restrictions due to health measures taken during the coronavirus pandemic, meaning we may need to shop for many things we need on the internet. The word bestellen, most commonly translated in this context as "to order," has thus become an especially important term this year.

Diesen Film können Sie als DVD unter folgender Adresse im Internet bestellen.

You can order this film on DVD at the following web address.

Caption 18, Bibliothek der Sachgeschichten - Müllmännerlied
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We also use bestellen when ordering food in a restaurant, although these days that usually means ordering food for takeaway:

Die Tochter hat Pizza bestellt...

My daughter ordered pizza...

Caption 82, Weihnachtsinterviews - Cettina in Linkenheim
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Möchten Sie denn schon was zu trinken bestellen?

Would you like to order something to drink now?

Caption 10, Abendessen - mit Marko
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Although bestellen is most commonly used to mean "to order" something, there are also a number of other contexts where the verb is used that require a different translation altogether. Quite differently from the English "to order," where something will be coming to you, the German bestellen can also be used to send out greetings (Grüße bestellen) or to ask someone to say thank-you for you:

Bestellt dem Marquis meinen herzlichsten Dank!

Send the Marquis my most heartfelt thanks!

Caption 41, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der gestiefelte Kater
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Bestellen Sie dem Feldmarschall von Kluge,

Tell Field Marshall von Kluge

ich danke für das in mich gesetzte Vertrauen.

I thank him for the trust he places in me.

Captions 55-56, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
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In the context of biology, you can use bestellen with the preposition um to describe the condition of a species:

Um die seltene Marmorata-Forelle ist es schlechter bestellt...

Regarding the rare marble trout, it looks worse...

Caption 29, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
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Jetzt interessiert mich das aber doch, wie's um den Bestand bestellt ist.

Now, however, I'm interested indeed in how the population is doing.

Caption 5, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Further Learning
Take a look at all of the meanings of bestellen on the Duden website and search for bestellt and bestellen on Yabla German to see other ways the word is used in different contexts.