übertrifft

übertrifft is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb übertreffen, meaning to surpass, exceed, or outperform. It is used when the subject, in the present, exceeds a standard, expectation, or competitor.

Origin and formation: The word combines the prefix über- (over, beyond) with treffen (to meet or strike). The resulting sense is to meet something at a higher level or to go beyond a benchmark.

Conjugation and grammar: Infinitive übertreffen; present indicative forms include ich übertreffe, du übertriffst, er übertrifft, wir übertreffen, ihr übertrefft, sie übertreffen. The simple past is übertraf, and the participle is übertroffen, used with haben for the perfect tense (hat übertroffen). As a finite verb, übertrifft governs standard verb placement in German sentences, avoiding separable-prefix behavior in this case.

Usage and examples: Übertrifft is commonly used in contexts of performance, expectations, and records. Examples: Er übertrifft alle Erwartungen. Die Ergebnisse übertrafen die Prognosen. In English: He surpasses all expectations; The results exceeded the projections. The form is versatile across domains such as sports, science, business, and general critique.

See also and nuances: Related verbs include überbieten (to outbid or to surpass in price or value) and überragen (to tower above). Übertreffen implies surpassing in quality or degree, while überbieten often emphasizes price or value, and überragen emphasizes prominence or dominance.