abzutragen

Abzutragen is the infinitive with zu of the German verb abtragen, and it is used primarily in formal or technical contexts. The core sense is to remove or subtract something from a total, or to carry material away from a surface. In addition to subtraction in accounting or regulation, the verb also covers physical removal of material, as in erosion or mining, where something is taken away or dismantled.

Etymology and scope: The prefix ab- expresses separation, combined with tragen, “to carry.” This yields meanings such as “to carry away,” “to remove,” or, in financial language, “to deduct.” In legal, administrative, and financial texts it often appears in fixed phrases like costs or amounts that must be subtracted from a total, for example “Kosten sind abzutragen” or “von der Gesamtsumme abzutragen.” In geology, construction, and related fields it denotes the physical removal of material, as in “Gestein wird abgetragen.”

Usage and morphology: Abzutragen is used in constructions that express obligation or requirement, frequently in passive or impersonal forms like “ist abzutragen” or “sind abzutragen.” The verb is separable in finite forms: ich trage ab, du trägst ab, er trägt ab. The past participle is abgetragen, and the infinitive with zu is abzutragen. In everyday language, speakers may prefer synonyms such as abziehen or abführen depending on context, while abtragen remains common in technical or formal writing.

Examples: Die Kosten sind abzutragen. Vom Endbetrag sind die Steuern abzutragen. Der Fels wird kontinuierlich abgetragen. In geology: Gestein wird abgetragen, wenn es durch Erosion entfernt wird.

See also: abtragen (core verb), Abzug, Abschreibung.