Umgehen

Umgehen is a German verb with several related meanings, depending on the construction. The core sense is to deal with or handle something, often expressed with the preposition mit in the dative: “mit etwas umgehen.” A secondary sense is to circumvent or bypass something, as in “eine Regel umgehen” or “eine Vorschrift umgehen.”

Grammar and usage: Umgehen is a separable verb. In the present tense the prefix separates from the stem: “Ich gehe gut mit dem Problem um,” and “Wie gehst du mit der Situation um?” In other tenses the prefix moves to the end of the clause: “Wir haben gut mit dem Problem umgegangen.” The word can take various objects with mit in the dative (for example, mit dem Thema, mit dem Risiko). The noun form Umgang means the handling or dealing itself, as in “Der Umgang mit Konflikten ist wichtig.”

Common phrases and nuances:

- Umgang (noun) often collocates with mit: “Der Umgang mit Geld” or “Der Umgang mit Konflikten.”

- To indicate circumventing something, use “umgehen” with a direct object: “Man kann die Vorschrift umgehen.”

- Distinguish from related terms such as behandeln (to treat) or bewältigen (to cope with).

Examples:

- Wie gehst du mit dieser Situation um?

- Wir müssen besser mit Stress umgehen.

- Man kann die Regeln umgehen.

- Der Umgang mit sensiblen Daten erfordert Sorgfalt.

Etymology: Derives from um- (around, around) and gehen (to go), originally suggesting going around or handling a matter from all sides. The verb is common in both formal and everyday language and appears in a variety of contexts related to management, conduct, and avoidance.