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versterben

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

German

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Etymology

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From Middle High German versterben. By surface analysis, ver- +‎ sterben.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /feʁˈʃtɛʁbən/, [fɐˈʃtɛʁ.bm̩], [fɛɐ̯-], [-ˈʃtɛɐ̯-], [-bən]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: ver‧ster‧ben

Verb

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versterben (class 3 strong, third-person singular present verstirbt, past tense verstarb, past participle verstorben, past subjunctive verstürbe, auxiliary sein)

  1. (higher register) to die, to pass away
    Synonyms: sterben, (dated) verscheiden
    Sie müssen, wenn ich das sagen darf, auch an den Fall denken, dass Ihr Mann einmal versterben könnte.
    You must also, if I may say this, think of the case that your husband might pass away at some point.

Usage notes

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  • This verb is per se interchangeable with the simplex sterben, but it expresses a vague notion of respect and reserve.

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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Further reading

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