beläuft

Beläuft is the third-person singular present form of the German verb belaufen, used with the reflexive pronoun sich. The verb expresses that a quantity, amount, or extent equals a stated value, often in formal or written contexts. The standard construction is sich belaufen auf plus a noun phrase in the accusative, meaning “to amount to” or “to come to” a total.

In practice, beläuft sich is commonly used in financial statements, reports, and statistical descriptions. Examples include: Die Kosten belaufen sich auf 12.500 Euro. Die Gesamtdauer beläuft sich auf zwei Stunden. Die Gesamtsumme beläuft sich auf mehrere Tausend Euro. It is typical in official language to present a final total by stating what the numbers belaufen auf.

Etymology and sense development: belaufen derives from the prefix be- added to laufen (to run). The original sense, “to run to,” evolved into the figurative meaning of “to amount to” or “to come to a total.” The expression is predominantly formal and is preferred in written and administrative German; in more colloquial speech, speakers might use synonyms such as liegen bei or sich summieren.

Usage notes: beläuft sich is generally used with a definite total or estimated amount. It pairs with a numerically expressed quantity or a time span. While the phrasing is fixed, speakers may choose alternative constructions like “kommt auf” or “beläuft sich auf,” depending on register and emphasis.