Dictionary > ab verbs
- hat abgeändertänderte absee details >1.
- to modify, to alter
- (Make small changes or adjustments in a bigger whole. Think of changing a route slightly or shifting around a few slides in a presentation.)
- hat abgearbeitetarbeitete ab1.
- to work, to get done
- (For a heap of work that you slowly "ablate" through work. )
2.- to work off
- (Paying a debt through work.)
see details >3.- to wear oneself out with working
- ("sich+Acc abarbeiten an+Dat" - fixed phrasing for the idea of putting a lot of energy into a difficult and maybe futile endeavors. )
- hat abgebautbaute ab1.
- to take down, to deconstruct
- (methodically remove something that was built, like a stage or a tent)
Opposite (closest): aufbauensee details >2.- to decompose, to reduce, to break down
- (for substances and energies)
- hat abgebissenbiss absee details >1.
- to bite off, to take a bite
- hat abbekommenbekam ab1.
- to get a share
- ("etwas abbekommen von" - sounds a bit clumsy and needy, so don't use it in a professional business context.)
2.- to get hit
- (Same idea as before, only that now you get a share of something you didn't want. Think of someone throwing mud at party. )
see details >3.- to (manage to) get off
- (The idea is that you're succesfully trying to get something of from somewhere. Think of a sticker from a car. )
- hat abbestelltbestellte absee details >1.
- to cancel
- (ONLY for subscriptions where something is sent to you - either mail or a newsletter. Does NOT work for Netflix, for example.)
Opposite (closest): bestellen - hat abgebogenbog absee details >1.
- to turn
- (in the sense of changing direction in traffic)
- hat abgebildetbildete ab1.
- to depict
- (Capture in pics, sounds a bit formal)
see details >2.- to map, to transform
- (In the mathematical sense)
- hat abgebundenband ab1.
- to tie off, to untie
- (Pretty much only in the context of losing the leash or a dog from a tree. Most other contexts will be "losbinden".)
Opposite (closest): anbinden2.- to bind, to thicken
- (For binding a sauce!!)
see details >3.- to put on a tourniquet, to secure
- (Put on a pressure bandage or tourniquet. You "bind off" that body part or artery.)
- hat abgeblasenblies ab1.
- to blow off
- (ONLY for literally blowing an object off from somewhere. SUPER rare!!)
see details >2.- to cancel, to call off
- (Colloquial phrase for cancelling an event or project.)
- ist abgeblättertblätterte absee details >1.
- to peel off, to flake off
- (Pretty much only used for paint.)
- ist abgebliebenblieb ab1.
- to stay/remain off
- (in the sense of "not attached")
see details >2.- to be
- (Pretty much only in questions for the location of an object like "Wo ist ... abgeblieben?")
- hat abgebrochenbrach ab1.
- to abort
- (In the sense of "stopping an ongoing process". NOT for abortions in context of pregnancy.)
see details >2.- to break off
- (in the literal sense of breaking something off of something)
- hat abgebremstbremste absee details >1.
- to brake
- (Sounds a bit more sudden than "bremsen" but the difference is mostly based on what's idiomatic in a context.)
- ist abgebranntbrannte absee details >1.
- to burn down
- (Not for burning something completely, but rather burning to the "foundation". Can be a building or an incence stick. If you "abbrennen" something, the spoken past goes with "haben". If something "abbrennen" by itself, it goes with "sein".)
- hat abgebrachtbrachte absee details >1.
- to talk sb out of sth
- ("jemanden (Acc) von etwas (Dative) abbringen); always needs to come with the von-part.)
- hat abgebuchtbuchte absee details >1.
- to debit
- (Lit.: "to book off" - it's when some other party draws money from your account. NOT for you withdrawing cash at an ATM.)
Opposite (closest): überweisen - hat abgedecktdeckte ab1.
- to cover, put a cover over
- (so that others can’t see it or so that it’s away from the air or the rain)
2.- to cover
- (for topics)
see details >3.- to remove a roof
- (Think hurricane ;))
- hat abgedichtetdichtete absee details >1.
- to seal
- (A leakage of some kind.. NOT for sealing documents.)
- hat abgedrehtdrehte ab1.
- to turn away
- (For boats and planes only)
2.- to turn off
- (For water and colloquially also electricity. )
3.- to screw off
- (For lids. Rarely actually used.)
4.- to wrap up
- (In the context of finishing filming a movie.)
see details >5.- to go crazy
- (Colloquial, often in a positive sense.)
- hatsee details >1.
- to print
- (With a focus on the fact that it'll be published. Think of a juicy celebrity photo and the editors are debating whether they should print it.)
- hat abgedrücktdrückte ab1.
- to pull the trigger
see details >2.- to pay money
- ("abdrücken (für)" - very colloquial and usually in contexts where you think something is quite a lot of money.)
- hat abgeernteterntete absee details >1.
- to harvest, to reap
- (Slightly technical term that includes the idea of completion. So you harvest a field or tree completely. )
- ist abgefahrenfuhr ab1.
- to start driving
- (With a focus in leaving. Often used for trains leaving a station. For starting your car ride, "losfahren" is the better choice.)
2.- to dig, to really like
- ("abfahren auf+Acc" - quite colloquial and not easy to use idiomatically, because it doesn't always work.)
4.- to drive along
- (ONLY in the sense of driving a full course of something, usually in a context of some sort of inspection.)
see details >5.- to drive down
- (For mountains and hills and primarily used in context of biking or skiing.)
- ist abgefallenfiel ab1.
- to decrease, to drop, to decline
- (For certain metrics like quality, energy, performance and voltage, but it's overall pretty rare. You need to know the idiomatic phrasings.)
Opposite (closest): ansteigen2.- to descend, to slope down
- (For terrain only. And it's what the terrain does, not what you do on the terrain. )
Opposite (closest): ansteigen3.- to come out of, to be yielded
- (Mainly for financial gains or other compensations. The benefits are what does the "abfallen".)
see details >4.- to fall off
- (Something literally falling off of something. Think of a bumper of a car, for example. Also for figurative loads that fall off of you. If the focus is on hitting the floor, then "runterfallen" is the better choice.)
- hat abgefangenfing absee details >1.
- to intercept
- hat abgefärbtfärbte ab1.
- to bleed into
- (In the sense of a colored item "sharing" its color with other things. Think of a new shirt that might ruin your clothes if washed together.)
see details >2.- to rub off on, to influence
- ("abfärben auf+Acc" - a figurative use where a person's character or behavior starts influencing others to behave the same way.)
- hat abgefedertfederte absee details >1.
- to cushion, to absorb (a shock)
- (Softening an impact. Also used figuratively. )
- hat abgefeiertfeierte absee details >1.
- to party really hard
- (kind of slang)
- hat abgefundenfand ab1.
- to pay off, to compensate
- (Usually used in the context of severance payments for jobs)
see details >2.- to make peace with
- („sich+Acc abfinden mit“ - ONLY in the sense of getting to terms with a situation. NOT making peace with someone)
- ist abgeflogenflog ab1.
- to fly off
- (In the sense of being blown off by pressure. Think of a lid of a bottle. NOT for a hat being blown off by the wind.)
see details >2.- to depart
- (For planes. The verb "starten" is more idiomatic, but the noun "der Abflug" is pretty common. )
- ist abgeflossenfloss absee details >1.
- to flow away, out
- (Primarily for water that is "stuck" somewhere (sink or low area of land) but it's also used in a financial context for funds or liquidity.)
- hat abgefragtfragte absee details >1.
- to ask, to question, to quiz
- (In the sense of running through a list of questions. Mostly used in the context of practicing with someone for an exam)
- hat abgegebengab ab1.
- to give a share
- ("abgeben von" - usually for small scale things like sharing a piece of your pizza)
2.- to hand over, to turn in
- (For items that you "turn in", like a phone at the door of a yoga retreat. Also for some borrowed things like a bike or a car. And for roles and responsibilities.)
3.- to be, to make for
- ("etwas+Acc abgeben" - Colloquial phrase for objects and people doing a surprisingly good job in a function that they weren't made for.)
see details >4.- to deal with, to occupy oneself with
- ("sich+Acc abgeben mit" - Usually used in the negative, either for tasks you don't want to deal with or people you (don't) want to get involved with.)
- ist abgegangenging ab1.
- to come off
- (stickers, pictures on a wall, etc)
2.- to go crazy/wild
- (for example people dancing or throwing a fit, but also for songs that are really energetic)
4.- happen, take place
- (Quite common colloquial option for "to happen". Also used to ask "What's up?")
see details >5.- to be lacking from
- ("jemandem abgehen" - more common in the South of Germany)
- see details >hat abgewonnengewann ab
- hat abgewöhntgewöhnte absee details >1.
- to break a habit, to stop
- ("sich (Dativ) abgewöhnen"... literally once used to be "to wean off")
Opposite (closest): angewöhnen (sich+Dative) - hat abgegossengoss absee details >1.
- to drain
- (For pasta, rice and other things you cook. You "pour off" the water.)
Opposite (closest): aufgießen - hat abgeglichenglich absee details >1.
- to square, to align, to check for matches
- (Comparing two things to see if they align like they're supposed to.)
- hat abgegrenztgrenzte absee details >1.
- to separate from, to delineate, to set apart
- (The core idea is consciously creating or emphasizing a boundary to clearly distinguish A from B. Also often used reflexively "sich+Acc abgrenzen")
- hat abgegucktguckte absee details >1.
- to crib, to peek
- (The idea is "to learn or find out by watching someone". The self reference needs to be there and it's in Dative. In South Germany, also with "schauen" instead of "gucken")
- hat abgehabthatte ab1.
- to get a piece/share
- (Colloquial, mostly used to ask if you can have a piece or state that you'd like to have a share. Not used to talk about actually getting one. Pretty much always with a modal verb and virtually never alone in pure present or past tense.)
see details >2.- to (not) like, to (not) stand
- (Only in combination with "können", very colloquial. )
- hat abgehackthackte absee details >1.
- to hack off
- hat abgehakthakte ab1.
- to tally, to check off
- (To put a check mark behind something. Mostly used in figurative contexts for stuff that was on the agenda. NOT used for checking and actual test.)
see details >2.- to forget
- (In a sense of "Forget about it, not gonna happen". The idea is that you check it off instead of waiting forever.)
- hat abgehaltenhielt ab1.
- to deter, keep someone from doing something
- ("abhalten von" - Similar idea to preventing, but not as definite)
Opposite (closest): anhaltensee details >2.- to hold
- (For meetings and conferences. Sounds a bit formal)
- hat abgehandelthandelte absee details >1.
- to fully discuss a topic
- (Mostly in context of a monologue or text, not for an engaging conversation among friends.)
- hat abgehangenhängte ab/hing ab1.
- to depend
- ("abhängen von" ... actually, this is a literal translation because the Latin "pendere" meant "to hang")
2.- to lose a pursuer
- ("jemanden abhängen" - works for actual car chases as well as in a figurative sense of leaving the competition behind)
see details >4.- to chill, to hang out
- (very colloquial)
- ist abgehauenhaute ab1.
- to chop off
- ("spoken past" is formed with "haben"!)
see details >2.- to piss off, hastily going away
- (spoken past is with "sein")
- hat abgehobenhob ab1.
- to lift off
- (Planes, rockets.)
2.- to lose touch with reality a bit
- (Actors, Insta-Models and so on)
3.- to answer the phone, to pick up the phone
- (You do NOT add "phone" in German. "abheben" alone is enough.)
Opposite (closest): auflegensee details >5.- to stand out, to distinguish oneself
- ("sich+Acc abheben (von)")
- hat abgeheftetheftete absee details >1.
- to file away
- (To put away into a folder. Does NOT work for digital stuff, so it'll slowly disappear)
Here's a quick overview with translations. For family, examples and more check the details.