unterstuetzen

Unterstützen is a German verb meaning to support, assist, back, or sustain. It is used for providing help to people or groups, backing a plan or project, or lending practical backing such as funds or resources. It can also refer to endorsing a position or offering sustained help over time. In everyday language, unterstützen typically implies active backing rather than a single, one-off gesture.

Grammatically, unterstützen is a transitive verb and takes a direct object: ich unterstütze dich; wir unterstützen das Projekt. The present tense includes a stem-vowel change (ich unterstütze, du unterstützt, er unterstützt, wir unterstützen, ihr unterstützt, sie unterstützen). Perfekt is formed with haben: ich habe unterstützt. Simple past is ich unterstützte. The related noun is Unterstützung (support, backing, assistance).

Etymology and usage notes: The word comes from prefix unter- “under” plus stützen “to prop up, support,” extending the idea of providing backing. It can describe physical support, financial backing, or institutional advocacy. In technical language, a system can unterstützen a feature or format, meaning it provides compatibility or capability.

Typical phrases include Unterstützung leisten (to provide support) and Unterstützung erhalten (to receive support). Compared with helfen, which emphasizes general aid, unterstützen often suggests longer-term, organized, or collective backing and may imply endorsement.

ASCII variant: In contexts without umlauts, the form unterstuetzen (ue replacing ü) is common. The standard German spelling is unterstützen. Examples: Ich unterstütze meine Familie; Die Regierung unterstützt das Projekt; Das System unterstützt dieses Dateiformat.