verlassen
abandoned
Without people; no longer inhabited or used.
EXAMPLE
Am Ende der Straße stand ein verlassenes Haus mit zerbrochenen Fenstern.
At the end of the street stood an abandoned house with broken windows.
verlassen
abandoned / forsaken
verlassen – verlassener – am verlassensten
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Meanings
verlassen
forsaken
Alone and without the companionship or support of other people; lonely and left to fend for oneself.
EXAMPLE
Ohne ihre Freunde fühlte sie sich einsam und verlassen.
Without her friends, she felt lonely and forsaken.
von allen guten Geistern verlassen
out of one's mind
Colloquial: lacking all reason or good judgment. The expression 'von allen guten Geistern verlassen' (out of one's mind) usually conveys disbelief at very unreasonable behavior.
EXAMPLE
Bist du von allen guten Geistern verlassen, bei diesem Sturm aufs Meer hinauszufahren?
Are you out of your mind, going out to sea in this storm?
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry verlassen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | verlassen |
|---|---|
| comparative | verlassener |
| superlative | am verlassensten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to verlassen.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to verlassen.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to verlassen.
Usage tips
Adjectival use
'Verlassen' (abandoned / forsaken) comes from the past participle (Partizip II) of the verb 'verlassen' (to leave / abandon) and is also used as an adjective. It often follows 'sein' (to be) or 'bleiben' (to remain) and can also appear before a noun.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Umzug der Firma blieb das Gebäude jahrelang verlassen.
After the company moved, the building remained abandoned for years.
Wir übernachteten in einer verlassenen Hütte im Wald.
We spent the night in an abandoned cabin in the woods.
Typical collocations
For places and buildings, combinations such as 'ein verlassenes Haus' (an abandoned house), 'eine verlassene Fabrik' (an abandoned factory), 'ein verlassener Bahnhof' (an abandoned train station), and 'eine verlassene Straße' (a deserted street) are especially common.
EXAMPLE
Hinter dem Wald entdeckten wir eine verlassene Fabrik.
Beyond the woods, we discovered an abandoned factory.
Feeling forsaken
When describing a person experiencing this feeling, 'verlassen' (forsaken) often appears in the fixed expression 'sich verlassen fühlen' (to feel forsaken). The reflexive pronoun changes to match the person.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Streit fühlte sich Jonas völlig verlassen.
After the argument, Jonas felt completely forsaken.
Fixed idiom
'Von allen guten Geistern verlassen' (out of one's mind) is a colloquial idiom usually used as an exclamation or an incredulous question. The expression always includes the preposition 'von' and the dative plural form 'allen guten Geistern'.
EXAMPLE
Du bist wohl von allen guten Geistern verlassen, wenn du ohne Helm fahren willst.
You must be out of your mind if you want to ride without a helmet.
In real life
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