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verlassen
/fɛɐ̯ˈlasn̩/
to leave
Er verlässt das Haus um acht Uhr.
He leaves the house at eight o'clock.
neutral
to leave a place or person behind; to depart
Sie hat die Stadt für immer verlassen.
She left the city forever.
Er verlässt seine Familie.
He abandons his family.
Used for both physical departure and emotional abandonment.
formal
to rely on or depend on something
Er verlässt sich auf seine Intuition.
He relies on his intuition.
Often used with 'sich auf' (to rely on).
literary
to be deserted or abandoned
Das verlassene Schloss stand einsam im Wald.
The abandoned castle stood lonely in the forest.
Used as an adjective in passive constructions.
Collocations
sich auf jemanden verlassento rely on someoneein verlassenes Hausan abandoned housedas Haus verlassento leave the house
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Common Mistake: 'verlassen' vs 'verlassen werden'
'Verlassen' can mean both active leaving (Ich verlasse das Haus) and passive abandonment (Das Haus ist verlassen). Be careful with context to avoid confusion.
Gold Rule
Reflexive Use
When using 'verlassen' to mean 'to rely on', always include 'sich': 'Ich verlasse mich auf dich' (I rely on you).
Word Origin
From Middle High German 'verlāʒen', from Old High German 'farlāʒan', combining 'far-' (away) and 'lāʒan' (to let, leave). Related to English 'forlorn' and 'to leave'.
Usage Notes
The verb can be transitive (to leave something/someone) or intransitive (to depart). The reflexive form 'sich verlassen auf' means 'to rely on'.
Word Breakdown
ver-
prefix indicating completion or separation
prefix-lassen
to let, leave
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