verflogen

Verflogen is the past participle of the German verb verfliegen and can function as an adjective or be used in verb phrases. It conveys that something has flown away or elapsed, with the phrase Die Zeit ist verflogen serving as the common idiom meaning “time has flown by.” In this sense, verflogen is often used to evoke the swift passage of moments or events.

Etymology and sense: The form combines the prefix ver- with fliegen (to fly). In German, ver- frequently marks a change of state or a completed action, and with fliegen it produces the metaphor of things or moments moving rapidly out of reach. The word is primarily literary or poetic, though the idiom Die Zeit ist verflogen is widely understood in everyday language.

Usage and examples: As a verb, verfliegen appears in tenses such as Die Zeit verfliegt schnell. The perfect form Die Zeit ist verflogen is common for stating that time has already passed. As an attributive adjective, verflogen can appear in phrases like verflogene Stunden or verflogene Jahre, typically in more literary or descriptive prose to emphasize the sense of elapsed duration.

Related terms: Verfliegen is related to other German expressions for the passage of time, including verfließen, which also denotes slipping away or elapsed time, though with a slightly different nuance. Verflogen tends to carry a more image-driven or picturesque tone, whereas verfließen is common in both literary and colloquial contexts.