anhaften
to cling
To stick to a surface or remain firmly attached to it.
EXAMPLE
Dem Fell des Hundes haften nach dem Spaziergang viele Kletten an.
After the walk, many burrs are clinging to the dog's fur.
anhaften
to cling
anhaften – haftete an – hat angehaftet
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Meanings
jemandem anhaften
to cling to someone
To remain permanently associated with someone as a characteristic, flaw, or accusation.
EXAMPLE
Der Verdacht wird ihm noch lange anhaften.
The suspicion will cling to him for a long time yet.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry anhaften, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Present
| ich | hafte an |
|---|---|
| du | haftest an |
| er/sie/es | haftet an |
| wir | haften an |
| ihr | haftet an |
| sie | haften an |
Simple past
| ich | haftete an |
|---|---|
| du | haftetest an |
| er/sie/es | haftete an |
| wir | hafteten an |
| ihr | haftetet an |
| sie | hafteten an |
Perfect
with haben
| ich | habe angehaftet |
|---|---|
| du | hast angehaftet |
| er/sie/es | hat angehaftet |
| wir | haben angehaftet |
| ihr | habt angehaftet |
| sie | haben angehaftet |
Commands
| du | haft an! hafte an! |
|---|---|
| ihr | haftet an! |
| Sie | haften Sie an! |
Past perfect
| ich | hatte angehaftet |
|---|---|
| du | hattest angehaftet |
| er/sie/es | hatte angehaftet |
| wir | hatten angehaftet |
| ihr | hattet angehaftet |
| sie | hatten angehaftet |
Future
| ich | werde anhaften |
|---|---|
| du | wirst anhaften |
| er/sie/es | wird anhaften |
| wir | werden anhaften |
| ihr | werdet anhaften |
| sie | werden anhaften |
Subjunctive I
| ich | hafte an |
|---|---|
| du | haftest an |
| er/sie/es | hafte an |
| wir | haften an |
| ihr | haftet an |
| sie | haften an |
Used for reported speech.
Subjunctive II
| ich | haftete an |
|---|---|
| du | haftetest an |
| er/sie/es | haftete an |
| wir | hafteten an |
| ihr | haftetet an |
| sie | hafteten an |
Used for wishes and “would”.
Other forms
| infinitive | anhaften |
|---|---|
| with zu | anzuhaften |
| present participle | anhaftend |
| past participle | angehaftet |
Usage tips
Separable verb
'Anhaften' (to cling) consists of 'an' and 'haften' (to stick) and is separable. In a main clause, 'an' is separated and placed at the end; in a subordinate clause, where the verb comes at the end, 'anhaften' stays together. With the infinitive using 'zu', 'zu' comes between the two parts.
EXAMPLE
Der feuchte Sand haftet den Schuhen an.
The wet sand is clinging to the shoes.
Die Schuhe sind schwerer, weil ihnen feuchter Sand anhaftet.
The shoes are heavier because wet sand is clinging to them.
Der feuchte Sand scheint den Schuhen fest anzuhaften.
The wet sand seems to be clinging firmly to the shoes.
Dative construction
The pattern 'etwas haftet jemandem oder etwas an' ('something clings to someone or something') works for both meanings. The thing that is clinging is the subject; the affected person or surface is in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Den alten Fliesen haften noch Klebereste an.
Some adhesive residue is still clinging to the old tiles.
Der Politikerin haftet seit Jahren ein schlechter Ruf an.
A bad reputation has been clinging to the politician for years.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, 'ein Makel' (a flaw), 'ein Verdacht' (a suspicion), and 'ein schlechter Ruf' (a bad reputation) are typical subjects. 'Noch immer' (still) or 'bis heute' (to this day) is often used to emphasize how long this connection continues.
EXAMPLE
Dem Unternehmen haftet noch immer der Verdacht an, seine Kunden zu täuschen.
The suspicion that it is deceiving its customers still clings to the company.
In real life
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