überstehen

Überstehen is a German verb with several related meanings. The primary sense is to endure, weather, or survive a difficult period, event, or burden. It is commonly used for crises, exams, illnesses, or other demanding situations, as in “Wir haben die Krise überstanden” or “Sie hat die Krankheit überstanden.” The verb can also be used in a broader sense of managing to get through something without being overwhelmed, similar to “durchstehen” or “über die Runden kommen.”

A secondary sense is more literal: to protrude or extend beyond something, i.e., to overhang. In this physical sense the idea is that a part stands beyond or above another part, though this usage is far less frequent in everyday speech than the figurative one.

Etymologically, überstehen combines the prefix über- (over, beyond) with stehen (to stand). The combination conveys the sense of standing through or beyond a challenge. The infinitive forms a range of tenses with standard German conjugation: ich überstehe, du überstehst, er übersteht; preterite include ich überstand, du überstandest, er überstand; the past participle is überstanden. The verb is commonly used with direct objects referring to the challenge or period being endured.

Usage notes: überstehen is often preferred over bestehen when the emphasis is on surviving adversity rather than merely meeting a standard or passing an exam. Related terms include durchstehen (to endure through a period) and standhalten (to withstand, to hold out under pressure). In journalism and narrative, überstehen helps convey resilience and recovery after difficult experiences.