Before you start
Meet absehen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
All 4 meanings
- to foresee [with accusative]
- (archaic) to realize, to convince oneself of [with accusative]
- to overlook, to disregard, to refrain (to willfully not refer to a fact) [with von (+ dative)]
- to be after, to design [with es and auf (+ accusative)] [auxiliary haben or sein]
Build the meaning
ab- + sehen
- ab-
- away from
- sehen
- to see
Imagine turning your gaze away from an option, and so choosing not to pursue it.
So absehen means to refrain from (von etwas absehen); also, to foresee.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Separable verb: ab·sehen
In a main clause the prefix ab splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseSie sieht von einer Antwort ab.She refrains from giving an answer.
Subordinate clauseEr sagt, dass sie von dem Plan absieht.He says that she is not going ahead with the plan.
Participle: abgesehenzu-infinitive: abzusehen
Forms
How absehen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | sehe ab | sah ab |
| du | siehst ab | sahst ab |
| er/sie/es | sieht ab | sah ab |
| wir | sehen ab | sahen ab |
| ihr | seht ab | saht ab |
| Sie | sehen ab | sahen ab |
Partizip II abgesehen · Perfekt with haben
Three examples
- 1Ich sehe heute von dem Plan ab.I’m not going ahead with the plan today.refrain from something
- 2Er hat den Trick von seinem Bruder abgesehen.He learned the trick by watching his brother.Perfekt with haben
- 3Wir wissen nicht, ob wir den Regen absehen können.We don’t know if we can foresee the rain.verb at the end after ob
Verb family
More verbs built on sehen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.