umgegangen

Umgegangen is the past participle of the German verb umgehen and appears in a number of related senses. The core meaning is to handle, deal with, or cope with something, often in the sense of managing a situation or interacting with a person or object.

Main senses

- To handle or deal with: verwendet with mit + Dativ. Example: “Der Manager hat die Krise gut umgegangen.” A variant with pronouns is: “Er hat gut damit umgegangen.” This use focuses on coping with or managing a situation, challenge, or criticism.

- To go around or bypass physically: used when something is avoided or circumvented. Example: “Wir sind dem Sturm umgangen.” In this sense the verb can express avoiding a danger or obstacle.

Grammatik and form

- umgegangen is the past participle used with the auxiliary haben in the perfect tense: “hat umgegangen.” The verb is separable prefix, so in finite forms the prefix splits: “geht … um,” while in the participle it remains attached: “umgegangen.”

- Typical constructions: “gut/schlecht mit etwas umgehen,” “mit Kritik gut umgehen,” “damit umgehen.”

Etymology and related terms

- The prefix um- with gehen originally conveys movement around or about something; extended meaning includes handling or dealing with something in a figurative sense.

- Related noun: Umgang (handling, dealing, or social contact). Adjectival or adverbial phrases often use the preposition mit + Dativ.

Usage notes

- Umgegangen is common in journalism and formal writing when describing how people or organizations responded to events, criticism, or constraints.

- The expression is versatile: it can describe practical handling, emotional response, or strategic avoidance.