Unterließ

Unterließ is the simple past (Präteritum) form of the German verb unterlassen, meaning to refrain from or to omit performing an action. The verb combines the prefix unter- with lassen and historically derives from Old High German unterlâssen, meaning to leave undone. In contemporary usage, unterlassen typically describes a deliberate decision not to do something in the past.

Usage and examples

The form unterließ is used in narrative or formal writing to indicate that someone chose not to perform a specified action. Example: Der Zeuge unterließ es, eine Aussage zu machen. In everyday language, one might also say that someone unterließ etw., as in "Er unterließ den Einstieg ins Gespräch" to indicate avoidance of a particular action.

Grammatical notes

Unterlassen is the infinitive and a strong, irregular verb. Unterließ is the past tense form (used with appropriate subjects in past contexts), while the past participle is unterlassen. The construction can be combined with a clause, often using es oder zu-infinitiv, as in "unterließ es, ... zu ...".

Relation to related terms

In noun form, Unterlassung denotes omission or forbearance and is common in legal and formal language. The related term Unterlassungsklage refers to an injunction lawsuit aimed at preventing a continuing or future omission or violation. Synonyms and near-synonyms include auslassen, vermeiden, verzichten, though each carries its own nuance.

See also

Unterlassen, Unterlassung, Unterlassungsklage, Auslassen, Verzicht.