absteigen
German
Etymology
From Middle High German *abestīgen (attested in the noun abestīc, abesteic), derived from stīgen abe (verb + preposition). Analysable as ab- (“off, down”) + steigen (“to rise, mount”). Compare Dutch afstijgen, Gothic 𐌰𐍆𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (afsteigan).
Pronunciation
Verb
- to dismount; to get off something that one stands or sits on; chiefly used when the object is implied; with the preposition von, the simplex steigen is preferred
- Steig vom Rad! Los, komm schon, steig ab!
- Get off the bike! Come on now, get off!
- to arrive (at a hotel etc.) in order to stay for one or more nights
- Wir sind in einem kleinen Gasthof abgestiegen und reisen morgen weiter.
- We’ve found a room in a small inn and we’ll travel on tomorrow.
- (chiefly figurative, or in combination with aufsteigen) to sink; to descend; to become lower
- Es besteht eine absteigende Tendenz.
- There is a downward tendency.
- Der Vogel variiert seine Flughöhe. Er steigt immer wieder auf, um dann wieder abzusteigen.
- The bird varies its altitude. Time and again it ascends, only then to descend again.
- (sports) to be relegated; to sink to a lower league
- Wenn wir das letzte Spiel verlieren, steigen wir definitiv ab.
- If we lose the last match, we are definitely relegated.
Conjugation
Derived terms
Further reading
- “absteigen” in Duden online