Losen

Losen is a German term that most often appears as the infinitive verb lösen, meaning to solve or to loosen. In written German, the verb is spelled lösen with an umlaut; in ASCII texts it is sometimes written as loesen. The word can also appear in compound forms such as auflösen (to dissolve or to dissolve something), auslösen (to trigger or to release), or einlösen (to redeem or to cash in).

As a verb, lösen has several common uses. It means to find a solution to a problem or question, as in das Problem lösen (to solve the problem). It can also mean to loosen something physically, such as einen Knoten lösen (to loosen a knot). In ticketing and finance, lösen is used in the sense of purchasing or redeeming something, for example eine Fahrkarte lösen (to buy/issue a train ticket) or eine Anleihe lösen (to redeem a bond). In compound verbs, the meaning shifts with the prefix, as in auflösen (to dissolve) or auslösen (to trigger an event).

As a noun, Lösen can denote the act of solving or the process of dissolution. The more common noun for a concrete answer or result is Lösung, as in die richtige Lösung (the correct solution). Lösen as a noun tends to appear in formal or technical contexts, such as mathematische Lösen eines Gleichungssystems (solving a system of equations).

In summary, lösen/Lösen functions primarily as a verb with meanings tied to solving, loosening, and related actions, while the capitalized form Lösen may serve as a noun in certain contexts. The related forms auflösen, auslösen, and einlösen illustrate the broad semantic range within German verb usage.