unterstehen

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German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German understān, understēn. Compare Low German onderstaan, English understand. By surface analysis, unter- +‎ stehen.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʊntɐˈʃteːən/,
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: un‧ter‧ste‧hen

Verb

unterstehen (irregular strong, third-person singular present untersteht, past tense unterstand, past participle unterstanden, past subjunctive unterstände or unterstünde, auxiliary haben)

  1. to be subordinate to
    Du unterstehst meiner Aufsicht.You are under my charge.
  2. (reflexive) to dare, to have the audacity
    Untersteh dich!Don't you dare!
Conjugation

Further reading

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Verb

unterstehen (irregular strong, third-person singular present steht unter, past tense stand unter, past participle untergestanden, past subjunctive stände unter or stünde unter, auxiliary haben or sein)

  1. (intransitive) to shelter, to take shelter
    Ich stehe unter einem Dach unter.I take shelter under a rooftop.
Usage notes

Only the auxiliary haben is used in northern and central Germany. In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, sein is common in the vernacular and also, alternatively, in standard usage.

Conjugation

Further reading