Verbleiben

Verbleiben is a German verb meaning to remain, to stay, or to be left as is. It is used primarily in formal, written, or legal language to indicate that a fact continues to hold, or that a decision or state remains in effect. A common construction is Es verbleibt bei …, which emphasizes that a point or condition still applies.

Etymology and formality: Verbleiben is formed from bleiben with the prefix ver-, producing an intransitive verb that expresses persistence or continuation. The term is widespread in administrative, legal, and diplomatic contexts, and it is typically more formal than everyday equivalents such as bleiben or bestehen.

Usage and structure: Verbleiben governs a clause or a noun phrase often introduced by bei in a dative construction, as in Es verbleibt bei der Feststellung, dass … (It remains to be noted that …). It can also be used in statements about personal stance, such as Ich verbleibe bei meiner Auffassung. The verb is used in present tense to denote current status; in formal prose it may appear in patterns that indicate a conclusion or a remaining obligation.

Conjugation and related forms: Verbleiben is an intransitive verb with a form similar to other bleiben- verbs in the present tense (ich verbleibe, du verbleibst, er verbleibt, wir verbleiben, ihr verbleibt, sie verbleiben). The past participle is verblieben, and the perfect tense is typically formed with sein (ich bin verblieben).

Verbleib as a noun: The related noun Verbleib means the staying or remaining of someone or something, or the whereabouts of an object. Examples include Der Verbleib des Dokuments (the whereabouts of the document) and Der Verbleib ist unbekannt (the whereabouts is unknown).

Notes: Verbleiben is most common in formal contexts; in everyday speech, speakers often use bleiben or sonstige Ausdrücke to convey similar meanings.