lasst

Lasst is a German verb form derived from lassen, meaning to let, permit, or leave. It is most recognizable as the second-person plural present tense form (ihr lasst) and, in many expressions, as the informal plural imperative. For example, Lasst uns gehen means “let us go,” and Lasst die Tür offen means “leave the door open.”

Conjugation and forms: The verb lassen conjugates as ich lasse, du lässt, er lässt, wir lassen, ihr lasst, sie lassen. The participle is gelassen, and the simple past forms are ließ (singular) and ließen (plural). In everyday use, lassen appears in a wide range of meanings, from permitting and leaving something as it is to performing causative constructions like etwas reparieren lassen (“to have something repaired”).

Usage notes: As a causative, lassen is used with an infinitive to indicate having someone do something: Ich lasse das Auto reparieren. In this sense, es conveys control or arrangement rather than direct action. In subordinate clauses, lassen often introduces reported or hypothetical situations, and in fixed phrases it can express halting or ceasing an activity, depending on context. The imperative mood for plural you is formed from the ihr-present form, yielding Lasst!, with common fuller constructions such as Lasst uns beginnen or Lasst euch helfen.

Etymology and related forms: Lassen is a core Germanic verb, cognate with the English let. It descends from Old High German lassen and related Proto-Germanic roots. Related verbs include entlassen, freilassen, and zulassen, which extend the basic sense of permitting, releasing, or allowing.