verlassen
to leave
To go away from a place, person, or group for a short or long time.
EXAMPLE
Er musste die Party früh verlassen, weil er am nächsten Tag arbeiten musste.
He had to leave the party early because he had to work the next day.
verlassen
to leave / rely
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Meanings
sich verlassen auf
to rely on
To trust someone or something; to be sure that someone or something is reliable.
EXAMPLE
Auf meine beste Freundin kann ich mich immer verlassen.
I can always rely on my best friend.
verlassen
to abandon
To permanently and intentionally abandon someone for whom one is responsible.
EXAMPLE
Es ist tragisch, wenn Eltern ihre Kinder verlassen.
It is tragic when parents abandon their children.
verlassen
to leave
In a figurative sense: when a positive quality or state (such as courage, luck, or strength) no longer accompanies a person.
EXAMPLE
In der Prüfungssituation hat ihn plötzlich der Mut verlassen.
In the exam situation, his courage suddenly left him.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
The verb 'verlassen' (to leave) has the prefix 'ver-' and is inseparable. This means the prefix remains firmly attached to the verb in all tenses and sentence types.
EXAMPLE
Er verlässt das Haus immer um 8 Uhr.
He always leaves the house at 8 o'clock.
Context clue
Pay attention to the difference: 'verlassen' without a reflexive pronoun means 'to go away from'. 'Sich verlassen auf' with a reflexive pronoun and preposition means 'to trust' or 'to rely on'.
EXAMPLE
Er verlässt die Firma.
He is leaving the company.
Use with accusative
When you leave a place or a person, the verb 'verlassen' (to leave) needs a direct accusative object. Unlike in English, no preposition such as 'von' (from) or 'aus' (out of) is used.
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen das Gebäude sofort verlassen.
We must leave the building immediately.
Reflexive with preposition
In the meaning of 'vertrauen' (to trust), the verb is always reflexive ('sich verlassen') and is used with the fixed preposition 'auf' (on) and the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Auf dich kann man sich einfach immer verlassen!
You can simply always rely on you!
Figurative use
In the figurative meaning, the subject of the sentence is a force or feeling (e.g. 'der Mut' (courage), 'die Kräfte' (strength), 'das Glück' (luck)). The person who loses it is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Gegen Ende des Marathons verließen ihn die Kräfte.
Toward the end of the marathon, his strength left him.
Compare with
verlassen vs gehen
to go
Gehen can express leaving and often names a destination or has no location object. Verlassen refers more specifically to leaving and directly takes the place concerned as an accusative object. That is why you say nach Hause gehen, but das Büro verlassen.
verlassen
Nach dem Treffen verlasse ich um sechs das Büro.
I leave the office at six after the meeting.
gehen
Nach dem Treffen gehe ich um sechs nach Hause.
I go home at six after the meeting.
In real life
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