abspringen
to jump off
To leave an elevated place or a moving vehicle by jumping.
EXAMPLE
Er sprang vom fahrenden Zug ab.
He jumped off the moving train.
abspringen
to jump off / to drop out
abspringen – sprang ab – ist abgesprungen
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Meanings
abspringen
to drop out
To give up participating in a project or withdraw from an agreement.
EXAMPLE
Der Käufer ist kurz vor der Vertragsunterzeichnung abgesprungen.
The buyer dropped out shortly before the contract was signed.
abspringen
to take off
To push off forcefully with one's feet from the ground or another surface in order to perform a jump.
EXAMPLE
Die Weitspringerin sprang genau am Balken ab.
The long jumper took off exactly at the board.
abspringen
to come off
To suddenly detach from something to which something is attached or stuck.
EXAMPLE
Beim Bücken ist ein Knopf von meiner Hose abgesprungen.
A button came off my trousers when I bent down.
abspringen
to bounce off
To rebound after hitting a surface or bounce away in another direction.
EXAMPLE
Der Ball sprang vom Pfosten ab und rollte ins Aus.
The ball bounced off the post and rolled out of bounds.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry abspringen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | springe ab |
|---|---|
| du | springst ab |
| er/sie/es | springt ab |
| wir | springen ab |
| ihr | springt ab |
| sie | springen ab |
Simple past
| ich | sprang ab |
|---|---|
| du | sprangst ab |
| er/sie/es | sprang ab |
| wir | sprangen ab |
| ihr | sprangt ab |
| sie | sprangen ab |
Perfect
with sein
| ich | bin abgesprungen |
|---|---|
| du | bist abgesprungen |
| er/sie/es | ist abgesprungen |
| wir | sind abgesprungen |
| ihr | seid abgesprungen |
| sie | sind abgesprungen |
Commands
| du | spring ab! springe ab! |
|---|---|
| ihr | springt ab! |
| Sie | springen Sie ab! |
Past perfect
| ich | war abgesprungen |
|---|---|
| du | warst abgesprungen |
| er/sie/es | war abgesprungen |
| wir | waren abgesprungen |
| ihr | wart abgesprungen |
| sie | waren abgesprungen |
Future
| ich | werde abspringen |
|---|---|
| du | wirst abspringen |
| er/sie/es | wird abspringen |
| wir | werden abspringen |
| ihr | werdet abspringen |
| sie | werden abspringen |
Subjunctive I
| ich | springe ab |
|---|---|
| du | springest ab |
| er/sie/es | springe ab |
| wir | springen ab |
| ihr | springet ab |
| sie | springen ab |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | spränge ab |
|---|---|
| du | sprängest ab sprängst ab |
| er/sie/es | spränge ab |
| wir | sprängen ab |
| ihr | spränget ab sprängt ab |
| sie | sprängen ab |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | abspringen |
|---|---|
| with zu | abzuspringen |
| present participle | abspringend |
| past participle | abgesprungen |
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Abspringen' (to jump off / to drop out) is a separable verb. In a main clause, 'ab' comes at the end of the sentence; in a subordinate clause, the verb stays together; and with the infinitive marker 'zu', 'zu' comes between the prefix and the stem.
EXAMPLE
Sie sprang vom Boot ab.
She jumped off the boat.
Er blieb stehen, weil sein Freund nicht absprang.
He stood still because his friend did not jump off.
Sie hatte Angst, vom Felsen abzuspringen.
She was afraid to jump off the rock.
Word formation
The verb consists of 'ab' and 'springen' (to jump). 'Ab' often indicates movement away from a place, a connection, or a project; the exact meaning becomes clear from the context.
EXAMPLE
Der Hund sprang vom Sofa ab und lief zur Tür.
The dog jumped off the sofa and ran to the door.
Kurz vor dem Start sprang ein Teilnehmer ab.
One participant dropped out shortly before the start.
Von plus dative
When someone leaves an elevated place or a vehicle by jumping, the starting point is usually expressed with 'von' (from) and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Der Akrobat sprang von der Mauer ab.
The acrobat jumped off the wall.
Sie sprang von der fahrenden Straßenbahn ab.
She jumped off the moving tram.
Leaving a project
In the meaning 'not to participate anymore', 'abspringen' (to drop out) is often used with references to a project, business deal, or contract. Time expressions such as 'kurz vor dem Start' (shortly before the start) or 'kurz vor der Unterschrift' (shortly before the signing) often accompany this usage.
EXAMPLE
Kurz vor dem Start ist ein wichtiger Sponsor abgesprungen.
An important sponsor dropped out shortly before the start.
Der Investor sprang vom gemeinsamen Projekt ab.
The investor dropped out of the joint project.
Sports context
In sports, 'abspringen' (to take off) refers to the moment when someone pushes off forcefully to perform a jump. Typical points of reference are a take-off board, a springboard, or a marked take-off spot.
EXAMPLE
Der Turner sprang am Sprungbrett ab.
The gymnast took off from the springboard.
Die Athletin sprang genau an der markierten Stelle ab.
The athlete took off exactly at the marked spot.
Detaching from something
When an object suddenly comes loose, the surface to which it is attached or stuck is often expressed with 'von' (from) and the dative. The object itself is the subject of 'abspringen' (to come off).
EXAMPLE
Der Knopf sprang von der Jacke ab.
The button came off the jacket.
Beim Öffnen sprang der Deckel von der Flasche ab.
The lid came off the bottle when it was opened.
Rebounding
When something rebounds, an object such as a ball or stone is usually the subject. The surface it bounces off is often named with 'von' (from) and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Der Tennisball sprang von der Wand ab.
The tennis ball bounced off the wall.
Der Puck sprang von der Bande ab und landete hinter dem Tor.
The puck bounced off the boards and landed behind the goal.
In real life
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