zugrunde

Zugrunde is a fixed adverbial particle used in several common German verb phrases. It originates from a literal sense of “to the ground” and functions to express that something serves as a basis for another thing or that something has come to an end. In modern usage, zugrunde appears in three main constructions with distinct meanings and syntactic patterns.

Zugrunde gehen means to go to ruin or to fail. It is intransitive and typically describes plans, enterprises, or fortunes that collapse or cease to exist. Example: Der Plan ging zugrunde.

Zugrunde liegen means to underlie or form the basis for something. This construction takes a dative referring to what is based on something, and a nominative or accusative element that lies underneath. Example: Dem Unternehmen lag eine falsche Annahme zugrunde. Another common usage is in passive or formal style: Eine falsche Annahme liegt dem Unternehmen zugrunde.

Zugrunde legen is a transitive verb meaning to base something on something, i.e., to put a foundation under a claim, theory, or argument. It takes an accusative object for what is being laid and a dative for what serves as the basis. Example: Die Theorie legt den Befund zugrunde.

Etymology and notes: zugrunde derives from zu Grund (to the ground/bottom). The phrases are widely used in legal, academic, and journalistic German and are considered standard idioms rather than freely formed constructions. They are typically used in formal or analytical writing to express underlying assumptions, causes, or outcomes.