ergeben

Ergeben is a German term with several closely related meanings, used as a verb (often in the reflexive form), a past participle, and as an adjective. It describes relations between people or things in terms of yielding, turning out, or devotion.

As a verb form, ergeben appears mainly in combinations such as sich ergeben and ergeben as a head v erb. The phrase es ergibt sich is common and means “it turns out” or “it follows that.” In statement form, one can say: Die Analyse ergibt, dass die Investition profitabel war. In reflexive use, sich ergeben means “to surrender” or “to come about,” as in Ich habe mich ergeben (I surrendered) or Es hat sich herausgestellt / Es hat sich ergeben, dass … (It has turned out that…). The perfect construction is haben or hat sich ergeben, depending on construction.

As an adjective, ergeben denotes devotion or loyalty, typically to a person or cause. It is used to describe a person who is loyal or dutiful. For example: Er ist seinem König ergeben. Die Anhänger sind der Sache ergeben. The related noun Ergebenheit means devotion or submissiveness.

Etymology and distinction: ergeben derives from a Germanic verb with the prefix er- added to geben, producing senses related to yielding, presenting, or surrendering, and by extension to results or outcomes. The sense “devout, loyal” emerged in religious or personal dedication contexts and is common in literary or formal language.

Usage tips: avoid confusing ergeben with expresión of "result" in English; use es ergibt sich for “it turns out,” and use ergeben as an adjective when describing loyalty or devotion. The phrase Die Ergebnisse ergeben sich aus der Studie is a typical example in scientific writing.