überwinde

Überwinde is the second-person singular imperative form of the German verb überwinden, which means to overcome, surmount, or get over a difficulty. It is used to issue a direct command or encouragement to someone addressed informally (du). For example, Überwinde deine Angst und geh weiter expresses a call to personally overcome fear and continue.

Etymology and form: The verb überwinden is formed with the prefix über- meaning “over” attached to a base verb with historical roots in Old High German and Middle High German. The word has developed into a general sense of surpassing or conquering obstacles. The imperative form überwinde follows the standard German pattern for addressing a single informal “you,” while the ihr- imperative is überwindet and the formal Sie-form is Überwinden Sie.

Usage notes: In sentences, überwinde is typically used when directing someone to take action to overcome a challenge, such as emotions, physical hurdles, or strategic difficulties. The related non-imperative forms include überwinden (infinitive), überwunden (past participle), and überwinde (du) and überwinde dich in some stylistic contexts. In translation, überwinde often corresponds to “overcome,” “surmount,” or “get over” in English, depending on the nuance.

Context and related terms: Überwinden appears in everyday speech, self-help, sports coaching, and motivational language. Synonyms or near-synonyms include bezwingen, überwinden, meistern, and überwältigen in certain contexts, though each carries distinct shades of meaning. As a grammatical form, überwinde commonly appears in instructional or exhortative sentences directed at a single interlocutor.