Verfassen

Verfassen is a German verb meaning to compose, draft, or write a text. It is commonly used to indicate the act of producing written material, often in formal, academic, or official contexts. The noun das Verfassen refers to the act itself.

Typical usage includes composing documents such as reports, opinions, laws, contracts, or scholarly papers, as well as letters or essays. Examples: "einen Brief verfassen," "einen Bericht verfassen," "ein Gutachten verfassen," "ein Gesetz verfassen." In everyday writing, more neutral verbs like schreiben or formulieren may be used instead, but verfassen emphasizes deliberate composition.

Grammatically, verfassen is a regular verb with the inseparable prefix ver-. It conjugates as: ich verfasse, du verfasst, er verfasst; wir verfassen, ihr verfasst, sie verfassen. In the perfect, it takes haben: ich habe verfasst. The imperfect is verfasste. The verbal noun is das Verfassen, and related forms include der Verfasser (the author).

Etymology: Verfassen derives from ver- prefix added to fassen (to grasp, hold, or seize) with the sense of "to form" or "to craft" a text. The prefix does not indicate separable verb behavior; it forms a lexical unit.

See also: schreiben, formulieren, ausarbeiten, erstellen.