Hilft

Hilft is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb helfen, meaning "to help." It is used with a dative indirect object to indicate who is being helped. For example: Er hilft dem Nachbarn. (He helps the neighbor.)

Conjugation and forms: The present indicative of helfen is ich helfe, du hilfst, er hilft, wir helfen, ihr helft, sie helfen. Note the vowel change e → i in the du and er forms (hilfst, hilft). The past participle is geholfen. The imperative forms are hilf (singular) and helft (plural).

Etymology and related terms: helfen comes from Old High German helfan, related to Dutch helpen and English help. It belongs to the Germanic family of verbs with cognates in several languages. The noun form HIlfe means "help" or "assistance," and related adjectives include hilfsbereit (helpful) and hilflos (helpless).

Usage notes: helfen requires a dative object for the person or thing aided, not an accusative. Common constructions include jemandem helfen (to help someone) and bei etwas helfen (to help with something). For example: Sie hilft mir bei den Hausaufgaben. Das hilft dir weiter. The phrase Hilfe can stand alone as a request or exclamation: Hilfe!

See also: helfen in other tenses and moods (preterite: half; perfect: geholfen), the noun Hilfe, and related adjectives such as hilfsbereit and hilflos.