Verified answer

The grammar changes, and it's used in slightly different contexts.

"Ich beantworte eine Frage." (etwas beantworten)

"Ich antworte auf eine Frage." (antworten auf)

= I answer a question.

Basically "beantworten" always refers to something - questions - while "antworten" is more general. Indeed the noun is "Antwort". But sometimes you have to use a specific one, the other would be wrong.

"Das habe ich mir selbst beantwortet." = I answered that myself.

"Ich habe mir selbst geantwortet." = I answered myself.

You see, with "beantworten" there's the "das" (the problem, the argument).

"Antworte!" = Answer!

"Beantworte das!" = Answer that!

The second one is less used, because it's more specific "Can you explain that!?" / "Answer what I said!", while "Antworte" just wants an answer.

Yeah, beantworten has more to do with a question.

"eine Frage mit Nein beantworten" [to answer a question with no]

but it works both ways..

"mit Nein antworten" [answered with no]

So to put it bluntly? I don't know anymore. I always thought of Antworten as more of a reply... like "what should I reply with?" and Beantworten as more of... an actual... answer. Auugh, I can't explain it.

there isn't too much of a difference, but "beantworten" you really do to a question. But for example a mother who says to her daughter "answer me!!!" would say "Antworte mir!!!" I hope you understood the little difference.

antworten : to answer, to reply, to respond, to retort

beantworten : to answer, to respond