bestehen

Bestehen is a German verb with several related meanings that center on existence, composition, and success. In its core sense it means to exist or be the case: for example, “Es besteht kein Zweifel” means there is no doubt. It also means to consist of or be made up of, using the construction “bestehen aus”: for instance, “Der Vertrag besteht aus drei Teilen.” A third common meaning is to pass or succeed in an examination or test, as in “Sie hat die Prüfung bestanden.” Additionally, the verb can express persistence or the continuation of something, such as a law or tradition that remains in force.

Conjugation and related forms: In the present tense, the verb is “ich bestehe, du bestehst, er besteht, wir bestehen, ihr besteht, sie bestehen.” The simple past (Präteritum) forms include “ich bestand, du bestandest, er bestand, wir bestanden, ihr bestandet, sie bestanden.” The past participle is “bestanden,” used with “haben” to form the perfect: “Ich habe bestanden.” The verb also appears in several idiomatic constructions: “bestehen auf” means to insist on something; “bestehen aus” means to consist of; and “bestehen in” expresses what something consists in or amounts to.

Usage notes: “Bestehen auf” is a strong, explicit insistence (“I insist on it”). “Bestehen aus” and “bestehen in” specify composition and essence, respectively. The impersonal form “Es besteht die Gefahr” conveys “There is a danger.” The sense “to exist” is common for descriptions of time, objects, or institutions, as in “Die Stadt besteht seit dem Mittelalter.”

Etymology: The word derives from Middle High German bestēhen, formed with the prefix be- added to stehen, historically related to “standing in place” and extended to existence, composition, and success.

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