Hervorzuheben

Hervorzuheben is the infinitive with zu form derived from the German separable verb hervorgehoben/hervorheben, meaning to highlight or emphasize. In usage, it expresses that a particular point or feature should be given special attention. The phrase is common in formal writing, academic texts, and professional reports to introduce or flag important aspects.

Etymology and grammar: The prefix hervor- adds a sense of bringing something out or drawing attention to it, combined withheben, “to lift.” In finite clauses the verb is separable: er hebt … hervor. The participle form is hervorgehoben (past) and the present participle is hervorhebend. The infinitive with zu, hervorzuhaben or hervorzuhheben, is used in constructions such as Es ist hervorzuheben, dass … or Zu den hervorzuhebenden Eigenschaften gehören …, where the phrase signals what deserves emphasis.

Usage and nuance: Hervorzuheben is predominantly used in formal or analytical contexts to indicate elements worthy of emphasis. It can refer to facts, findings, features, or arguments. Synonyms include betonen, unterstreichen, and hervorheben in a less formal sense. It also appears in typographic and UI contexts as a figurative “highlight” of text or data, e.g., Text hervorheben to apply emphasis through formatting.

Noun and related forms: The noun form Hervorhebung denotes the act or process of highlighting. Related verb forms include hervorgehoben (highlighted) and hervorbeben (less common alternative). Overall, hervorzuheben functions as a concise linguistic device to foreground salient content in German discourse.

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