Folgen

Folgen is a German word with multiple related uses that depend on the part of speech. As a verb, folgen means to follow, to accompany, or to comply with, and it can also express that something results from something else. In sentences it is typically used with a dative object: "Ich folge dir" (I follow you), "Du folgst dem Plan" (You follow the plan). The phrase "daraus folgt" means "as a result" or "consequently."

As a noun, die Folge has several senses. In mathematics and general usage it denotes a sequence or ordered list of items (eine Folge von Zahlen). In media contexts, eine Folge refers to an episode of a television show or radio program (die erste Folge der Serie). In logic and everyday language it can also mean the consequences or results of an action (die Folgen des Handelns).

Etymology and relation between senses: both the verb and the noun stem from the same Germanic root related to following. The noun’s sense of "that which follows" gave rise to uses meaning sequence, episode, and consequence. In German, the word thus links notions of order, progression, and outcome, depending on context.