pending / dependent
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pending
Describes a legal or administrative case that has been filed with a court or authority but has not yet been decided.
Das Scheidungsverfahren ist bereits seit über einem Jahr bei Gericht anhängig.
The divorce proceedings have already been pending in court for over a year.
dependent
(dated) To be dependent on someone or something, especially financially or socially.
In früheren Gesellschaften waren unverheiratete Frauen oft ihren männlichen Verwandten anhängig.
In earlier societies, unmarried women were often dependent on their male relatives.
The adjective 'anhängig' (pending/dependent) is used almost exclusively predicatively, meaning after a verb such as 'sein' (to be) or 'machen' (to make). Use directly before a noun (attributively) is very rare.
Die Klage ist seit Monaten bei Gericht anhängig.
The lawsuit has been pending in court for months.
This meaning belongs to the technical language of law and administration. You typically find it in connection with words such as 'Verfahren' (proceedings), 'Klage' (lawsuit), 'Antrag' (application/motion), 'Gericht' (court), or 'Behörde' (authority).
Solange das Verfahren anhängig ist, können wir keine weiteren Schritte unternehmen.
As long as the proceedings are pending, we cannot take any further steps.
In the legal meaning, 'anhängig' (pending) is almost always used with the preposition 'bei' to name the place (the court, the authority) where the case is being processed.
Der Antrag ist noch beim Bundesverwaltungsgericht anhängig.
The application is still pending before the Federal Administrative Court.
The meaning 'to be dependent on someone' is outdated and is no longer used in modern German. It is found mainly in historical or literary texts.
Im 19. Jahrhundert war eine Witwe ohne Vermögen oft ihren Verwandten anhängig.
In the 19th century, a widow without assets was often dependent on her relatives.
open
„Offen“ generally describes a matter that has not yet been decided or completed. „Anhängig“ is more technical and applies to a case that has already been filed with a court or authority and is awaiting a decision there.
Der eingereichte Antrag ist bei der Behörde noch anhängig.
The submitted application is still pending with the authority.
Der Antrag ist noch offen, weil wichtige Unterlagen fehlen.
The application is still open because important documents are missing.
