hebst

hebst is the second-person singular present indicative form of the German verb heben, meaning to lift or raise. It is used with the informal pronoun du, as in Du hebst die Kiste vom Boden.

In modern German the verb is conjugated as ich hebe, du hebst, er hebt, wir heben, ihr hebt, sie heben. The present tense form hebst corresponds to the English “you lift.” Examples include Du hebst die Kiste auf den Tisch. In formal address, the corresponding form is Sie heben.

Beyond the present, the verb also appears in other tenses. The simple past (Präteritum) forms are ich hob, du hobst, er hob, wir hoben, ihr hobt, sie hoben. The perfect tense is formed with haben plus gehoben, as in Du hast die Kiste gehoben.

Usage notes: heben covers lifting or raising physical objects, as well as figurative senses such as raising a flag or raising hopes. The form hebst signals the subject is addressing someone informally, and does not itself indicate aspect beyond tense.

Etymology and cognates: heben derives from Old High German heban and has cognates in other Germanic languages, including Dutch heffen and the English verb heave. The root reflects the general sense of lifting or raising that persists in modern German.

See also: the related verb heben and its various conjugations; German verbs with stem vowels that alternate in different persons; German phonology of the -eb- root.