leisten

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See also: Leisten

German

Etymology

From Middle High German leisten, from Old High German leisten, from Proto-West Germanic *laistijan. Cognate with English last.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlaɪ̯stn̩/,
  • (file)
  • (file)

Verb

leisten (weak, third-person singular present leistet, past tense leistete, past participle geleistet, auxiliary haben)

  1. (transitive) to perform (a task, work), to accomplish (a task), to achieve (a goal)
  2. (transitive) to provide (aid, service)
    Sie leistete erste Hilfe, bis der Krankenwagen kam.
    She gave first aid until the ambulance came.
  3. (transitive, with dative reflexive pronoun) to afford, to pay for
    Ich kann mir jetzt kein neues Auto leisten.
    I can't afford a new car now.

Usage notes

  • In the sense of "afford", leisten is rarely used without können.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading