überlässt

Überlässt is the third-person singular present indicative form of the German verb überlassen. It means to leave something to someone’s discretion, to entrust or hand over something to someone, or more broadly to abandon or surrender a matter to another party. The verb is commonly used with a dative recipient and a direct object representing what is being left or entrusted. It also appears in fixed expressions such as Es bleibt dem Zufall überlassen, meaning “it is left to chance.”

Etymology and related senses: überlassen comes from the combination of über- (over, beyond) and lassen (to let, allow). The meaning shifts from a literal “to let over” to a sense of entrusting or assigning responsibility. Related terms in other Germanic languages include Dutch overlaten (to leave over, to hand over). In English, relevant senses are “to leave to,” “to entrust,” or “to hand over.”

Usage notes: The typical construction is jemanden/etwas + überlassen, where the recipient is in the dative and the thing left is the direct object. Examples include Der Vermieter überlässt dem Mieter die Wohnung (The landlord leaves the apartment to the tenant), or Die Entscheidung überlassen wir dem Vorstand (We leave the decision to the board). A common idiom is Es bleibt dem Zufall überlassen (It is left to chance).

See also: übergeben, anvertrauen, übertragen.