vorlegten

Vorlegen is a German separable-prefix verb meaning to present, submit, or lay something before someone for consideration. It is commonly used in legal, administrative, academic, and everyday contexts when documents, evidence, or proposals are being shown to an authority or audience.

Grammatical notes indicate that vor- is a prefix that commonly splits off in finite verb forms. In the present tense: ich lege vor, du legst vor, er legt vor, wir legen vor, ihr legt vor, sie legen vor. In the simple past the forms are ich legte vor, du legtest vor, er legte vor, wir legten vor, ihr legtet vor, sie legten vor. The past participle is vorgelegt, and the auxiliary zur perfect is formed with haben, as in Der Antrag ist vorgelegt worden.

The noun form das Vorlegen refers to the act of presenting or submitting something for consideration. A related noun, die Vorlage, can mean a submission or proposal as well as a template or model in other contexts. Typical usages include Beweise, Unterlagen, or einen Antrag vorlegen, meaning to present or submit evidence, documents, or a request. In passive constructions, the participle form vorgelegt is common: Der Bericht wurde dem Komitee vorgelegt.

Etymology traces vorlegen to the combination of vor- (before, in front) and legen (to lay). The term thus conveys moving something to the front for examination or decision. The form vorlegten as a single word is not standard in modern German; correct past tense forms are legte vor / legten vor, and vorgelegt as the participle.