haften

The German verb haften means to be liable, to be legally responsible, or to stick/adhere (depending on context).

• The root word here is Haft which means detention or liability.
• Context 1: In legal or financial contexts, haften means to bear responsibility or liability for something (e.g., Schaden haften — to be liable for damage).
• Context 2: In a physical sense, it can also mean to stick or adhere (e.g., Farbe haftet auf der Oberfläche — paint sticks to the surface).

Similar words:

• verantwortlich sein (to be responsible)
• haften für (to be liable for)
• kleben (to stick, physical sense)

Differences:

• Haften typically has a legal or binding sense in liability, while verantwortlich sein is a more general term for responsibility.
• For physical adhesion, haften and kleben both mean "to stick," but kleben is more commonly used for glue-like adhesion, whereas haften implies a natural or surface adhesion.