hängen

Hängen is a term used in Germanic languages to refer to the act of suspending something or the state of being suspended. It appears in everyday actions such as hanging a picture or hanging laundry, and it also has specialized senses in legal and historical contexts, notably the method known as hanging used as a form of capital punishment.

In Swedish, the related verb is hänga, used for the act of suspending objects as well as for hanging up clothing or other items. The noun hänge can refer to a pendant or to the state of hanging, depending on context. In idiomatic Swedish, expressions involving hanging often describe attachment, support, or relationships among parts.

In German, hängen means to hang. The verb is conjugated with form changes across tenses (present: hängt; past: hing; past participle: gehängt). It can be used transitively (to hang something) or intransitively (to be hanging or suspended). The choice of construction depends on whether a direct object is involved and on the intended nuance of the action.

History and law: Hanging has a long historical footprint as a form of punishment in many countries. In modern law, the practice is prohibited or strictly regulated in most jurisdictions, with legal interpretations and procedures varying widely by country and era.

See also: hang, hanging, pendants, suspension.