fassen

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word fassen. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word fassen, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say fassen in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word fassen you have here. The definition of the word fassen will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition offassen, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

German

Etymology

From Middle High German vazzen, from Old High German fazzōn, from Proto-Germanic *fatōną (to fetch, hold). Cognate with English fetch.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfasn̩/, /ˈfasən/
  • Hyphenation: fas‧sen
  • (file)

Verb

fassen (weak, third-person singular present fasst or (nonstandard) fässt, past tense fasste, past participle gefasst, auxiliary haben)

  1. to gird, to surround, to confine into a form
    • 1981, Gregor von Rezzori, Der arbeitslose König. Maghrebinische Märchen, Gütersloh: C. Bertelsmann, page 98:
      Einer von ihnen hat diese Quelle fassen und in den Brunnen leiten lassen, damit das brave ackerbebauende Volk daran seinen Durst stillen und sein Vieh tränken könne.
      One of them had this spring bordered and led into the well so that the good arable people could quench their thirst and water their cattle.
  2. to grasp, to catch
    Synonyms: greifen, packen
  3. to seize, to capture
    Synonym: ergreifen
  4. (reflexive) to compose oneself (to calm, to free from agitation)
    Synonym: beruhigen
  5. (intransitive, usually negative) to accept, to believe (a misfortune)
    Ich fasse es nicht, dass sie weg ist.
    I can't believe she's gone.

Usage notes

  • In the 2nd and 3rd person singular present, the standard form is fasst. An alternative umlauted form, fässt, is used colloquially in parts of northern Germany due to hypercorrection.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

  • fassen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • fassen” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • fassen” in Duden online
  • fassen” in OpenThesaurus.de