verblieben

Verblieben is a German word formed from the verb verbleiben, meaning to remain or to be left behind. The form verblieben is the past participle and can function as an adjective or, in perfect tenses, as part of a passive-like construction with the auxiliary sein. The word is common in formal, administrative, legal, and business language, where it signals what remains after a process, decision, or consumption.

As an attributive adjective, verblieben agrees with the noun: verbliebene Mittel (remaining funds), verbleibende Zeit (time left), verbliebene Fragen (remaining questions). As a nominalized form, das Verbliebene can refer to the remainder or the part that still exists: “Das Verbliebene muss noch geprüft werden.” In the present tense one typically uses verbleiben: “Es verbleiben zwei Optionen.” In the perfect, the past participle verblieben appears with sein: “Es ist verblieben” or “Sie sind verblieben.”

Etymologically, verblieben combines ver- with bleiben, and the prefix does not alter the core meaning of staying behind or being left over, but it can emphasize the outcome after other elements have been used or removed.

In usage, verblieben contrasts with verbs and adjectives such as verloren (lost) or verbraucht (consumed). It is most natural in written, bureaucratic, or professional contexts to denote quantities, time, or tasks that still exist rather than those that have been expended or completed.