Untergehen

Untergehen is a German verb with several related meanings tied to moving from a higher position to a lower one or disappearing from view. It is a separable prefix verb formed from unter- (under) and gehen (to go), and its perfect tense uses the auxiliary sein (ist untergegangen).

Common senses

- Physical sinking or submerging: something that goes below the surface or beneath a level, such as a ship or a boat. Example: Das Boot geht unter.

- Setting or disappearance from view: the sun or the moon going below the horizon, or something becoming no longer visible. Example: Die Sonne geht unter.

- Failure or extinction: a person, organization, or venture ceases to exist or goes bankrupt. Example: Die Firma geht unter.

Usage notes

- As a separable verb, untergeht in the present tense surfaces as two elements: Die Sonne geht unter. In the perfect tense it becomes ist untergegangen (Die Sonne ist untergegangen).

- It can be used figuratively to indicate being overwhelmed or overwhelmed by circumstances, or to disappear within a crowd: Er ging in der Menge unter.

- Related noun forms include der Untergang, meaning downfall, ruin, or sunset, depending on context.

Summary

Untergehen covers the ideas of sinking, setting, and failing or vanishing, with both literal and figurative uses. Its primary senses are physical submersion (ships, water), celestial setting (sun, moon), and collapse or extinction (businesses, plans), all expressed with the separable prefix structure and, in perfect tenses, with ist untergegangen.