liefern

Liefern is a German verb meaning to deliver, to supply, or to hand over. In everyday language it is used for the act of bringing goods or services to a recipient, for example delivering a package to a customer. It can also be used in a broader sense to mean providing or producing something, such as data, results, or services. The verb is transitive and typically requires a direct object (what is delivered) and a recipient (to whom).

Noun derivatives and related terms common in logistics and business include Lieferung (delivery), Lieferant (supplier), Lieferkette (supply chain), lieferbar (available for delivery), and Liefertermin (delivery date). In passive constructions, one speaks of Die Ware wird geliefert. The adjective lieferbar describes items that can be delivered immediately, while Lieferzeiten refer to expected delivery times.

Conjugation and forms: In the present tense, ich liefere, du lieferst, er liefert, wir liefern, ihr liefert, sie liefern. The simple past (Präteritum) is ich lieferte, du liefertest, er lieferte, wir lieferten, ihr liefertet, sie lieferten. The perfect (Perfekt) is formed with haben: ich habe geliefert, du hast geliefert, er hat geliefert, wir haben geliefert, ihr habt geliefert, sie haben geliefert. The participle is geliefert. There is also the separable-prefix verb ausliefern, meaning to hand over to authorities or to surrender someone, for example in legal or police contexts: Ich liefere den Verdächtigen an die Behörden aus.

Etymology and usage notes: liefern originates from older Germanic linguistic layers and is attested in Middle High German. The term is widely used across German-speaking regions and remains central in commerce, logistics, production, and information provision, as well as in legal language when referring to handing over individuals to authorities.