hinterlasse

Hinterlasse is a German verb meaning to leave behind or to bequeath something to someone, as well as to leave traces or messages. In its most common use, it denotes transferring belongings or a legacy to a recipient, but it can also describe leaving physical traces or information for others to find.

Usage and syntax

In the sense of bequeathing or transferring property, hinterlassen typically takes a dative recipient and an object: jemandem etwas hinterlassen. For example: Ich hinterlasse meiner Tochter ein Vermögen. The same verb can be used without a recipient to indicate leaving something behind in a broader sense: Er hinterließ dem Ort Spuren. The phrase Spuren hinterlassen is a common idiom meaning to leave traces or an imprint. Another frequent usage is with messages or information: eine Nachricht hinterlassen, eine Spur hinterlassen, Hinweise hinterlassen. The perfect tense is formed with haben: Ich habe eine Nachricht hinterlassen.

Etymology and related forms

Hinterlassen derives from hinter- (behind) and lassen (to leave). A related noun is die Hinterlassenschaft, meaning a legacy or estate left behind after someone’s death, or more generally a remaining collection of belongings. The verb is non-separable in its finite forms.

Examples

- Ich hinterlasse meinem Bruder eine kleine Erbschaft.

- Nach dem Gespräch hinterließ sie eine höfliche Nachricht.

- Der Unfall hinterließ deutliche Spuren in der Landschaft.

See also

Spuren hinterlassen; Hinterlassenschaft; bequests and legacies in legal contexts.