angeht

Angeht is a form of the German verb angehen. It is used primarily in the sense of concerning, affecting, or being relevant to someone or something. In everyday language, phrases such as was geht dich das an? or Das geht mich nichts an illustrate the core meaning: a matter or issue that concerns a person or group.

Etymology and sense evolution: Angehen comes from the verb gehen with the prefix an- and has developed several related meanings over time. The central idea is a motion toward a topic, a shift in relevance, or something that can begin to affect a situation. The form angeht appears in finite constructions where the subject determines the specific sense, most often “concerns/reaches” or “is relevant to.”

Usage and examples: The most common use expresses personal relevance or intrusion into a matter. Examples include Was geht dich das an? (What does that have to do with you?) and Das geht mich nichts an. In other contexts, angehen can also mean to start to affect or to come into effect, as in Das geht jetzt an (something begins to apply or to be considered), though this sense is less frequent in everyday speech. The past participle angegangen is used to describe something that has begun to affect or concern someone, e.g., Das hat mich angegangen.

Grammatical notes: Angeht is the third-person singular present form in contexts where the subject is something like ein Thema oder eine Situation. The infinitive is angehen; the past participle is angegangen; the present participle is angehend. The expression etw. geht jdn. an is a common collocation.

See also: gehen, an- prefixes in German verbs, expressions with es geht um, es geht mich/nichts an.