verlaufen

Verlaufen is a German verb formed from laufen (to run) with the prefix ver-, and it has several related meanings that are not always connected. The sense depends on the context and the subject.

One common meaning is sich verlaufen, to get lost or lose one’s way while walking or navigating. This is a reflexive use, as in Ich habe mich im Wald verlaufen, meaning I got lost in the forest. It is typically used when a person cannot find the intended route.

Another sense describes something that runs or lies along a route. In this use, der Fluss verläuft durch das Tal or die Straße verläuft nördlich des Sees, indicating that the river or road runs along or through a landscape. This is a statement about the path or course of a feature.

A third meaning concerns color, ink, or liquid spreading. To verläuft can mean to bleed, run, or smear, as in Die Farbe ist verlaufen, the color has bled or run, causing a smear beyond its original boundary.

Verlaufen also appears in discussions of processes or developments. With no reflexive pronoun, it can describe how something progresses, as in Der Verlauf der Erkrankung verläuft ungünstig or Die Verhandlungen verlaufen schleppend. In everyday language, phrases like im Verlauf des Tages (during the course of the day) are common, using Verlauf as a noun to denote progression or development.

Summary: verlaufen covers getting lost, running along a route, bleeding or spreading of color, and the progression of events or conditions. The exact meaning is determined by context and related words.