Überstanden

Überstanden is the past participle of the German verb überstehen, meaning to endure, survive, or withstand a difficult situation. It is used to indicate that someone has gotten through something and is no longer directly affected by it. Common contexts include illnesses, difficult exams, crises, disasters, or stressful periods. In the perfect tense, it is used with the auxiliary haben, as in Ich habe die Krankheit überstanden or Wir haben die Prüfung überstanden.

Originating from über- (over) and stehen (to stand), überstehen is a separable-prefix verb. In the present tense the prefix is typically separated, e.g., ich überstehe, du überstehst, er übersteht. The past participle is überstanden and is used with haben to form perfect tenses: Ich habe die Prüfung überstanden. In the simple past, the form is überstand (ich überstand, du überstandest, er überstand). The imperfect is comparatively rare in everyday speech.

As an attributive or predicative participle, überstanden can also function as an adjective: eine überstandene Krankheit, ein überstandenes Unwetter, eine überstandene Krise. This usage conveys that the subject has already endured and recovered from the event. In nuance, überstehen emphasizes survival or recovery after the event, while durchstehen tends to stress enduring through the process to reach the end. Synonyms include bewältigen, überkommen (in specific contexts), and durchhalten.