verloren

Verloren is a German word meaning "lost." It is the past participle of verlieren (to lose) and can function as a predicative adjective or as an attributive adjective modifying a noun. When used attributively with a definite article, its ending follows standard adjective declension: die verlorene Tasche (the lost bag). With an indefinite article: eine verlorene Tasche. In the plural: verlorene Taschen (no definite article) or die verlorenen Taschen with a definite article. The predicative form typically uses verloren without an ending: Der Schlüssel ist verloren.

The term can also be used more figuratively to denote something that cannot be regained or is considered wasted, as in verlorene Zeit (lost time) or verlorenes Vertrauen (lost trust). The compound phrase verloren gehen means to be lost or to disappear; and verlieren in various tenses can be used with verlorenen forms to indicate the act of having lost something.

In culture and media, Verloren is frequently chosen as a title or motif in German-language works to evoke themes of absence, loss, or abandonment. Its use as a title can appear across literature, film, and music, reflecting the emotional or narrative sense of loss.

Etymology and cognates: Verloren derives from verlieren with the prefix ver- and is cognate with Dutch verloren and Afrikaans verloor; English equivalents include lost, depending on context.

Note: The word is primarily used in German, but its form and meaning are recognizable to speakers of related Germanic languages.