German word of the day: Laufen

Why do I need to know laufen?

Because this incredibly versatile verb crops up in a whole range of different circumstances, and it can even be used as an alternative to "Wie geht's?" (how are you?) if you want to switch things up a bit.

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What does it mean?

Laufen (pronounced like this) has a variety of meanings, but usually it's used to mean 'to run'. Since the verb implies movement from one place to another, you use it with 'sein' rather than 'haben' in the past tense. So if you want to tell somebody you went for a run today, you'd say: "Ich bin laufen gegangen" rather than "Ich habe gelaufen". 

Slightly confusingly, laufen can also be used in certain context to describe simply going somewhere on foot. So if you friend asks you if you came to meet them by bike or car, you can correct them by saying: "Nein, ich bin hier gelaufen." (No, I walked here.) Or if you unfortunately got a bit lost along the way and need to explain why you're a bit late, you can tell them: "Ich bin verlaufen." (I got lost.)

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Much like the English word 'run', laufen can also be used to describe something being in operation or in progress, like apps running in the background on your phone, the engine of a car or a film running at the cinema.

More generally, you might use it in place of the word 'to go', particularly in the context of asking someone how something is going or how something was. So for example, you might ask a friend: "Wie ist die Prüfung gelaufen?" (How did the exam go?) or simply open a conversation with "Wie läuft's?" (How's it going?). 

While this is pretty much the same as your standard "Wie geht's dir?", this does have the benefit of being slightly more open-ended, which can elicit more interesting responses. Though don't be surprised if "Läuft" - meaning "fine" - is simply parroted back at you in response.

Once you know what "laufen" means, you might start to see if everywhere, from the Verlauf (history) on your web browser to Kreislauf, meaning a cycle or something that runs in a circle. When you apply a job, you'll even be asked to submit a Lebenslauf, which summarises the progress of your life and career so far. 

Use it like this: 

Wie lang läuft der Film noch im Kino? Können wir nächste Woche gehen?

How long is the film still running for at the cinema? Can we go next week?

Na, wie läuft's beim neuen Job? 

So, how's the new job going?

Es läuft, danke, aber es gibt viel zu tun.

It's going well, thanks, but there's a lot to do.