belasten

Belasten is a German verb with several related meanings centered on applying weight, pressure, or burden. The basic sense is to place a load on something, but the term is also used in financial, legal, and figurative contexts. As a general concept, belasten conveys the idea of imposing a demand, strain, or obligation that can affect the object or subject involved.

Etymology and forms. Belasten comes from the root Belast-, meaning load or burden, with the verb ending -en. The present tense forms are ich belaste, du belastest, er belastet, wir belasten, ihr belastet, sie belasten. The perfect is habe belastet, and the past tense is belastete. The past participle belasted is used as an adjective in some constructions (e.g., eine belastete Brücke). The passive voice is formed with wird belastet (e.g., die Brücke wird belastet).

Usage and contexts. In a physical or structural sense, belasten describes placing a weight or load on a thing, as in Das Gewicht belastet die Brücke. In accounting and finance, it means to charge or debit an expense to an account, for example Kosten auf das Konto belasten. Figuratively, belasten can express imposing a burden or strain on a person or system, such as Die Situation belastet ihn psychisch, or Eine zusätzliches Problem belastet die Familie.

Related terms. The noun Belasteung or Belastung denotes a burden, load, or strain; Belastbarkeit refers to load-bearing capacity or endurance. The adjective belastet means burdened or taxed. The phrase unter Belastung stehen is common for being under load or stress.

In summary, belasten covers physical loading, financial charging, and figurative strain, making it a versatile verb in German.