abhängen

Abhängen is a German verb with several meanings and uses, depending on context. The prefix ab- indicates separation or downward movement, and with hängen it forms a separable-prefix verb. In standard and colloquial German, abhängen appears in three common senses: physical hanging, social activity, and dependency.

In a physical sense, abhängen can mean something hangs down or dangles from a support. For example, elements like branches or cords may hänge ab, indicating they protrude or hang downward. This sense is literal and more common in descriptive or technical contexts.

In slang and informal speech, abhängen means to spend time idly with others, to hang out or chill. It is widely used among younger speakers and in informal writing. Examples: “Wir hängen heute Abend mit Freunden ab.” or “Er hängt gern mit seiner Clique ab.” This usage is nonstandard in formal registers but very common in everyday language.

A third sense is to depend on or to hinge on something, expressed in the idiom davon abhängen (das hängt davon ab). In usage, the verb appears as a separable prefix: “Es hängt davon ab, ob der Zug pünktlich kommt.” In main clauses the prefix is positioned at the end: “Es hängt davon ab.” The past participle in this sense is rarely used, but when formed with emphasis or in compound tenses, it appears as abgehängt.

Grammatical notes: abhängen is a separable verb; in present and other finite tenses the ab- part detaches in clauses, yielding forms like “Wir hängen … ab.” The past tense uses haben plus the participle: “Wir haben abgehängt.” The term is widely understood in German-speaking countries, but is most common in informal speech and familiar writing.

See also: Abhängigkeit, abhängig, Hängen.