vollenden

Vollenden is a German verb meaning to bring to completion, to finish, to accomplish, or to bring to an end. It is transitive and typically governs a direct object, such as den Roman, den Plan, or das Werk, with a nuance of thorough completion or fulfillment beyond a mere cessation.

Etymology reflects its meaning: voll- comes from full or complete, combined with enden from end. The noun Vollendung (completion, culmination, perfection) derives from the same base and is used in similar contexts to express the idea of final perfection or a completed state.

Usage notes: In everyday language beenden or fertigstellen are more common for simply finishing something. Vollenden, however, conveys a sense of culmination, fulfillment, or achievement and is often found in formal, literary, philosophical, or religious contexts, as well as in discussions of artistic or scientific projects reaching their final form. Examples: Er vollendet seinen Roman. Die Architektin vollendet das Bauwerk. Die Vollendung eines Plans wird gefeiert.

Conjugation: present tense forms are ich vollende, du vollendest, er/sie/es vollendet, wir vollenden, ihr vollendet, sie/Sie vollenden. Präteritum forms are ich vollendete, du vollendetest, er/sie/es vollendete, wir vollendeten, ihr vollendetet, sie/Sie vollendeten. The perfect is formed with haben: ich habe vollendet. Past participle: vollendet.

Vollendung as a noun denotes the act or result of finishing something to its final, often exemplary, state. It is used across literary, philosophical, and theological discourse to describe the ultimate completion or perfection of a process, work, or life.