läuft

läuft is a finite form of the German verb laufen, specifically the third-person singular present tense. The base verb laufen means to move by running or to move quickly on foot, but it is also used for non-physical kinds of movement, such as a machine operating or a program or event running. Because of its versatility, laufen appears in a range of everyday expressions.

In present tense, the main forms are: ich laufe, du läufst, er läuft, wir laufen, ihr lauft, sie laufen. Note that several forms involve an umlaut on the stem vowel (läu- or lauf-), a characteristic of laufen in the present tense. The past (pretorite) form is ran through the stem irregularity, with the participle used in perfect constructions. The past participle is gelaufen and the present participle is laufend. For many uses, the perfect tense is formed with sein: ich bin gelaufen.

Uses and meanings. The literal sense is physical running, as in Er läuft jeden Morgen. Culturally, laufen also means to function or operate, such as Eine Uhr läuft, or Die Software läuft auf dem Computer. It can describe processes or events in progress, for example Es läuft gut oder Die Sendung läuft heute Abend. In informal speech, laufen is used in expressions like Es läuft bei dir, meaning “things are going well for you,” though colloquial nuances vary by region.

Etymology and related forms. laufen belongs to the Germanic verb family and is related to similar verbs in related languages, such as Dutch lopen. The noun Lauf denotes a run or a course, while the adjective laufend means currently in progress.

Overall, läuft is a core, highly productive verb in German, used across literal and figurative senses to indicate motion, operation, and progression.